Blog Posts

Wormwood has inspired music! Leap of Faith, by Orca Flights

2/7/2014

There’s something amazing I simply MUST share with you. The song, Leap of Faith by Orca Flights, is outstanding in its own right. But did you know that it was inspired by my novel, Wormwood? Okay, sure—perhaps you don’t see this as the latest headline news. But for an author, or for any artist who puts their heart and soul into creating something, to hear that that little piece of you, that physical creation, has inspired someone to create more art, is perhaps the purest, most flattering compliment possible. I could very well go into embarrassing detail about how I reacted when I first learned of this song. It was some months ago when the band released the original version of Leap of Faith and to my astonishment, Orca Flights actually placed the book’s name, Wormwood, in brackets beside the song’s title. And well, to be honest, when I saw the title I lost my mind ...just a little bit. =)

When the first version of Leap of Faith (Wormwood) was released on SoundCloud, Orca Flights posted this message below the song: “I wrote this song after reading ‘Wormwood’, my by far favorite novel to read! D.H. Nevins FTW (for the win). A must buy for an all-out heart-pounding adventure of love, war and the great beyond.”

A short time ago, Orca Flights reworked the song and came up with an even more fabulous version. It was just posted on YouTube a few days ago. And though it isn’t yet available for purchase, you can presently listen to it (but not download it) for free. I urge you to check it out. Not only is this tune incredible, but its rhythms, melody and note combinations seem to weave together in perfect balance, creating rare sound blends that actually seem to speak to you. In my opinion, it’s only an exceptional piece of music that can do this, yet I believe Leap of Faith accomplishes it. C’mon... you’re curious, aren’t you? So have a listen—it’s awesome!

I asked Noah Coty, Orca Flights musician extraordinaire, to share a few thoughts about the tune, Leap of Faith.

“Anything about flying inspires me because as a human, I am jealous of the angels for having wings!” And so, how did he use those feelings to put together such an incredible tune, you might ask? Noah explains, “...when writing the song, I closed my eyes and looked within for the feeling of being in the air. I tried my best to translate what I was feeling into the song. As it progressed, so did the in-flight portrayal of soaring and swooping and being aloft.”

So after the new version of Leap of Faith was completed, I couldn’t resist asking Noah if the re-made tune also had links to Wormwood. Of course, you can imagine what answer I was hoping to hear—and by hoping, I mean fingers crossed, arms crossed, legs crossed, eyes crossed... “They are both inspired by the book!” he responded emphatically. I was sure he was grinning. Having just received some brand new equipment, Noah had a plan. “I thought I’d put it to the test and give Leap of Faith a more 360 feel.”

The song, although shared on YouTube, is not in video form. The sublime music plays over an arresting, dream-like image of ships moving in and out of a gravitationally impossible harbour. A lush, grassy bridge spans a gigantic waterfall, while beams of ethereal sunlight highlight ships sailing UP the waterfall into the great ocean beyond. Kudos goes to concept artist and illustrator JP Targete, who is a “super-talented art student,” according to Noah. I couldn’t agree more. (Click on his name to visit his site.) The image and music pair perfectly, truly taking you on a journey that’s “UP OUT OVER AND BEYOND.”

Thank you, Orca Flights, for the BEST surprise... ever.

Click here to check out Orca Flights on Twitter

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It's Time! Excerpt from Angel of Shadow, Wormwood's sequel.

1/25/2014

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Image: Tears on Feathers, Kristaps B.

Something amazing has happened. Just last week, I topped 8,000 followers on Twitter. I couldn't believe it! After acting like a dork and sharing that knowledge with nearly everyone I knew, I decided it was time to celebrate. And what better way to celebrate than to share with my friends?
So without a further ado, here's an excerpt from Angel of Shadow, Wormwood's, upcoming sequel. I hope you enjoy it!

ANGEL OF SHADOW - Excerpt from Chapter 9

I had to stop them, but I couldn’t control my shadow well enough. They could all die. “Please stop.” I nearly sobbed the words, my throat constricted as much by emotion as it was by the intense energy that surged through my body. All around them, the shadows moved. I could see what was coming. The men were only a few paces away. “Stop now or I’ll have to hurt you. Please!”

One of the men snorted, but none of them so much as looked at me. All their attention was focused on Tiamat, sprawled across the bank behind me.

My Shadow surged in from all sides, slipping over the rocks and dirt to gather at my feet. I could feel its anticipation, its energy wound like a coiled spring. This, I knew, was not the same shadow that had attacked us earlier, invading our bodies and clouding my thoughts. I knew it in my bones—this shadow was mine. But its intentions were as black as its colour. It thirsted for death and yearned to harm. That was its purpose. It poured up my leg and swirled around the inky black of my hand and forearm, folding in on itself as it pressed into my skin.

I tore my eyes from it. One of the men was almost beside me, his expression changing to one of satisfaction. He had a clear shot. Chest puffed up, he squinted an eye and started to pull the trigger...

I lashed out at him, kicking his arm an instant before the gun went off. The shot missed, slamming into the water to Tiamat’s left. Too close... I backhanded the man across the face, almost forgetting my new strength, and sent him flying head-first into the dirt ground. But by attacking him, I had exposed Tiamat. The others moved in like vultures, multiple guns raised at once...

I spun to face them, thrusting an obsidian hand in their direction and willing my shadow to release. “Get back!” I yelled. My voice echoed through the cavern just as a wall of ebony slammed into them. As much as I wished to control it, it was like holding a great beast on a paper leash. I tried to pull back, but the weak restraints severed. The Shadow barrelled into them, throwing each man forcefully away. As its victims lay sprawled around the cavern, it coiled back, preparing to strike the fatal blow. It wanted blood ... pain...

I wanted it...

“No!” I raged. I reached my mind out to my Shadow again, and driving my hands apart in imitation of the breast stroke, I imagined dissipating the stuff and forcing it away. To my surprise, the black mist parted easily, swirling off to either side and disappearing into the folds of the dark. Feelings of frustration washed over me, though I knew they were not my own. I clenched my jaw, not caring how it felt. If it only wanted to kill, my Shadow would have to learn to live with disappointment.

Shoving those thoughts aside, I spun to face Tiamat. He lay exactly where I had left him, and appeared otherwise unharmed. I let my breath out in a puff of relief, and turned to look at the other men instead. They lay scattered in a rough semi-circle around me, unmoving.

“Damn it,” I hissed under my breath. “Damn bloody fools.” I approached the first one beside me, the one I had hit with a backhand. A pink splotch bloomed on his cheekbone, and upon further investigation, he appeared to be simply unconscious. One by one, I checked on all the men that lay sprawled across the damp rocks of the cavern. The others, thankfully, were in much the same shape as the first man. Aside from waking up with some serious bumps and bruises, the people that were trying to protect their encampment would likely be no worse off for it.

Once reassured the men would live, I went back to each of their bodies, checking them for weapons and collecting any I could find. Some had guns, and others, like the man that seemed to lead them, simply had knives. I gathered their weapons in a heap and dumped them unceremoniously on the far side of a large rock. They would likely still have need of them, but I’d rather they were unarmed for our next conversation.

My ears pricked up at a slight sound of scuffling from behind a rocky outcrop. It could have been an animal of some sort, but I highly doubted it. Without turning, I stood from my stooped position beside the last of the men I was checking, and dusted off my hands. “They might have a bit of a headache when they wake up, but they’ll be alright.”

I listened for a response, but none came.

“I won’t hurt you.” I said, turning to face the bulbous outcropping of rock. “I didn’t want to hurt them either, but they attacked us. Do you understand?”

Again, there wasn’t a sound.

I turned from those efforts and went back to Tiamat. Whoever was there would eventually either need to come out and face me or sneak back to the encampment. For the moment, I didn’t really care which it was, as long as I could get back to helping Tiamat.

I knelt by him again, running my hands over his neck and back, and tracing his cheek and jaw with my fingers. “Tiamat. Please wake up,” I whispered in his ear.

“Is he here to kill us?” came a small voice from beside me. “Because I don’t think he is.”

I turned to see a boy of about 12 standing beside me, looking inquisitively on. Then he continued, “But I’m not so sure about you.”

I could feel my lips twitching, but I tried to keep a straight face as I moved into the water to untangle Tiamat’s other foot. Thankfully, it was only hooked in the net and didn’t need untangling at all. How the heck did he end up like this? I couldn’t recall how we had gotten to the shore at all.

“Nathaniel asked us to come here to protect the people of your camp. So, no, we aren’t here to kill you. This,” I said, indicating the men sprawled around us with a sweep of my hand, “was from an unfortunate misunderstanding.” I splashed out of the water and moved to Tiamat’s shoulders, bracing myself to drag him out.

“Yeah, I saw it. They totally had it coming.”

I looked back at him in surprise.

He merely shrugged his shoulders. “They might wake up soon,” he stated, looking around at the men.

“So what? Now they know to leave us alone.”

I focused again on Tiamat and, bracing my hands under his shoulders, gently tilted his upper torso off the rocks. His head lolled forward, dark locks of hair falling into his face. I bit my lip thinking of how many times we had found each other like this in the past 24 hours—well, how many times he found me like this anyway. This was not a good start to our relationship. I knew it would be difficult, but I never expected anything quite as bad as this…

I pulled on his body, dragging him forward until his legs and feet were well out of the water. Then, before easing him back down, I sat on the ground and lowered his shoulders onto one of my legs and let his head rest on the other. I wished I could flip him onto his back, but, with his wings out, I couldn’t be sure that wouldn’t hurt him.

My heart was breaking. I didn’t know what to do. I ran my hand down his back, along the smooth skin between his wings, and rested my cheek against his head. Tears threatened, but I wouldn’t let them come. Not yet. Perhaps he simply needed some rest. Or maybe, with that filthy shadow inside him, he was lost inside himself, just as I was.

“You want him to live.” It was a statement, not a question, tinged with the wonderment of a child. I had already forgotten the boy was there.

“Yes.”

“Why? He is one of the Nephilim.”

“I told you. We came here to protect your camp.” I was weary of his company and wished the child would just go away. “He isn’t like the other Nephilim.”

“And you love him.”

“Yes.”

He was quiet for a moment. “I saw what you did. People can’t do that. No one can do that.”

I wasn’t certain how to respond. How could I explain to him what I was? If these people were afraid of the Nephilim—which, by all means they should have been—how would they respond to someone like me? “You need special people to watch over your camp,” I replied. It wasn’t really a lie.

He was quiet again. “What are you?”

I let out a long breath and straightened to look at him. I wondered if he could see the sorrow in my face, because I could see it in his. But there was something else there too; I was sure I could see a hint of wisdom that belied his years. It didn’t seem to fit. Who was this child? “My name’s Kali,” I answered.

He picked at a scab on his arm, looking uncomfortable. “What are you, Kali?”

“A friend. That’s all you need to know right now. I won’t hurt you. Neither will he.” I sighed, looking down at Tiamat. I bit my lip to keep it from trembling. More to myself than to the child, I mumbled, “I wish I knew how to help him.”

Tiamat’s dark hair was still in front of his face. Ever so gently, I pushed it back on his forehead, revealing a beautiful, pale-skinned profile. The moment his face was clear, however, I heard a sharp intake of breath from the boy beside me.

I swung my head again to look at the boy. His focus was fixed on Tiamat’s face, his expression strangely neutral. However, I knew I saw it, that glimmer of recognition just simmering under the surface. “Are his eyes blue?” he asked. His voice sounded so small.

“Yes. As far as I know, all the Nephilim’s eyes are blue.”

Without shifting his focus in the slightest, his next words came out as a command. “You want to help? Then burn him.” And with that the boy padded away, swallowed by the darkness at the back of the cave.

This work has not yet been fully edited. Some changes are to be expected.

This work is fully protected by Canadian and International copyright laws and is the intellectual property of D.H. Nevins and Black Wraith Books.

© January 15, 2014

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Giveaway ►► Modern Good Reads ►► 12 Books ► 5 Days

5/29/2013

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MODERN
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May 29th--June 2nd

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The Next Big Thing Blog Tag

10/31/2012

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Image by Behance http://ow.ly/eRNYN

I was asked by author Steven Montano to participate in this fun bit of Blog Tag. I considered declining, but he was babbling something about poking me with a pointed stick, so I relented. He’s an amazing author, but I think he might be a bit off his rocker. Anyway, apparently this whole thing originated from the She Writes website. Uh, I’m referring to this Next Big Blog thingy by the way, not the pointed stick.

If you’re an author and I tagged you for this blog hop, your instructions are at the end of this post.

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing:

1. What is the working title of your book?
Angel of Shadow (Wormwood Book 2)

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
Mostly from daydreaming and listening to music. The darker and moodier the music, the more vivid my imaginings. Also, Angel of Shadow is a sequel to Wormwood, so I already had much of it plotted out before I started writing.

3. What genre does your book fall under?
Post-Apocalyptic / Paranormal / Fantasy

Image from wearemoviegeeks.com

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I had so much trouble with this question, so I posted it on Facebook in order to get some suggestions. The responses I received were amazing, and even helped me better understand how my readers see Wormwood’s characters. It was fascinating! A thousand thanks for all the suggestions. Here’s what I went with:
Tiamat: Ian Somerhalder or Karl Urban (his pic is above). Both have dark, brooding good looks (according to a very special fan!) and I think either of them could bring out that intensity that’s essential to Tiamat’s character.

Image from wallpapergate.com

Kali: Natalie Portman. This one was tough. I needed someone youthful, yet mature and intelligent with serious butt-kicking capabilities. Portman recently had an extremely physically demanding role in the film Black Swan, and she's one of the few that fit the role of Wormwood's strong-willed protagonist.

Image from beyondhollywood.com

Richard: Cillian Murphy or Michael Fassbender. They have both been seriously creepy in previous roles and would each add their own special something to the role of Wormwood’s demon.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Through a post-apocalyptic landscape on the brink of a Nephilim war, Kali and Tiamat race to hunt down the demon, Richard, before Kali’s deadly new powers completely consume her.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It will definitely be self-published. I have better things to do than send out reams of query letters simply for the chance to sign Angel of Shadow’s rights away. I suppose I can’t say I won’t change my mind in the future, but for now, I’m quite content the way things are.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I’m not finished yet, but I expect it will take about a year from the time I started it. If all goes well, that means it will be finished by late spring, 2013.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
It’s a bad-ass, dark, post-apocalyptic version of Hush, Hush or Fallen, but with a STRONG female protagonist, a dangerous love interest, a more adult story-line and a plot that will leave you winded. Quite frankly, this series is about as romantic as the Underworld movies. Guys will enjoy it too.

9. Who or What inspired you to write this book?
My readers. They really want that sequel! If I don’t get it out soon, there’s a good chance they’ll show up on my doorstep.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Not only does this series have a strong female protagonist, but its Nephilim are deadly killers, the landscape is bleak and the love interest is a powerful and charismatic half-angel. Oh, and there’s a twisted demon too. Prepare for fighting, blood, love, suspense and plenty of twists.
For readers of Wormwood, this next bit is for you:
Angel of Shadow continues on exactly where Wormwood left off, with Kali walking towards the encampment, intending to pass her virus on to the survivors there.
In some ways, this book is even darker than Wormwood. It’s written in first person, so you will be in Kali’s mind as she is overcome by her new abilities. Like a living shadow, it seeps in and affects her thoughts, slowly clouding her mind with darkness. Yet she fights the descent every step of the way with Tiamat at her side. Together, they race to hunt down and kill the demon, Richard, before her mind is irrevocably lost.

So if you’re an author and I tagged you for this Next Big Thing Blog Hop, read on. If not, then thanks so much for popping by to read about my latest WIP. You can also read on if you’d like, but then I’d have to kill you. Oh no wait, that’s something else. Sorry. If you read on, it will be boring. That is all.

Here’s how it works….

Rules of The Next Big Thing

Use this format for your post (I have to confess that other participants had this blurb at the tops of their posts. Guess I just can't follow the rules, can I?)
Include an introduction to your interview post and a link to the person who tagged you for participation.  Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress). Include some pictures if possible.  Tag five other writers/bloggers by sending them an email and then add their links to the end of your interview post. Their answers should go up the week after.

Your blog post would need to be up between November 5th and the 9th . If you are on She Writes you put the post up there too. Your Blog post will be labelled: The Next Big Thing Blog Tag.

Here are the very cool authors I’m tagging.
Les Floyd
Craig Hallam
Shelli Johnson
R.M. DuChene
Riana Lucas

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My interview on a Blog Talk Radio Show

10/17/2012

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This is so exciting for me! I just did my first ever live blog radio show. I have to admit that I was nervous as hell before getting on there, but once I was doing it, I managed to mellow out pretty quickly. At least I think I did!

The show is called The Author's Nook, and it's hosted by Joey Giggles out of Staten Island, New York.

On the show, I cover the basic stuff about my book, like Wormwood's overall synopsis and the plights of some of the characters. I also talk a bit about how I researched it, the influence of various religions and mythologies upon my work (with respect to the apocalypse), the writing process and my publishing decisions.

This interview was a lot of fun and I'm so thankful to Joey for having me on his show. If you'd like to hear a replay of the radio interview, please click below:

Listen to internet radio with Joeygiggles on Blog Talk Radio

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Another way to win Wormwood!

10/14/2012

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Not only can you win an ebook copy of Wormwood (yay!) at Christina Condy's fantastic Recent Reads blog, but there are other books up for grabs too (awesome!) You can enter at the click of a button. How easy is that? Plus, it's to celebrate Christina's birthday. Now, you really don't have an excuse to miss it. I hope you'll pop by! :)
Just click here or on the image to your above.
Good luck!!!

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Cool! An Award Nomination!

9/30/2012

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The wonderful Laura Thomas of FU Only Knew Book Reviews has kindly nominated me for some cool blogging awards. Thank you, Laura! I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't have the time to act upon it, but I just wanted to post a big thank you here anyway!
Laura, you rock! :)

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Six Sentence Sunday

9/2/2012

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Here is this week's contribution to Six Sentence Sunday, from my post-apocalyptic / paranormal / thriller, WORMWOOD. Enjoy!

“Hey, don’t look so distressed, Baby,” Brian said as he slithered closer. “He obviously left because you’ve got a real man around now. Want to see how manly…”

Almost of its own accord, my fist flashed out and punched him squarely in the face. The force of it knocked him so hard he reeled backward and landed right in the bushes, his legs splayed absurdly apart like he was some silly cartoon character.

“Go to hell,” I told his legs triumphantly.

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Winners of the Mayan Calendar Contest Announced

9/1/2012

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image by theilr

Thanks to everyone that entered the Mayan Calendar Contest for a free ebook copy of Wormwood.

The question to be answered was this:
What is the exact date the Mayan Calendar ends?

Anyone that correctly identified ‘the end’ as being on Winter Solstice, December 21, 2012, was entered into today’s draw. The winners were selected using the True Random Number Generator on Random.org. So without further delay, here they are:

1.      Darla Broadwater (entry #26)
2.      Tiffiny Palmer (entry #4)
3.      David Forsyth (entry #10)
4.      Greg Swanson (entry #19)
5.      Lynda Dickson (entry #22)

Congratulations! You will all be contacted shortly with information on how to download your free ebook.

Just for fun, here are two of my favourite comments:
"Mayan Calendar ends 21 December 2012. Darn, looks like we're gonna miss Christmas." Exactly, Karleene, exactly.
And Cindy said, “it ended when they ran out of room on the stone :-)”

A huge thank you to everyone that entered: Thank you!!!
I hope each and every one of you has a fantastic weekend.

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Contest: When Does the Mayan Calendar End?

8/22/2012

6 Comments

picasaweb-5344720086273894914-hd

As many of you know, the Mayan Calendar ends sometime this year. This has lead to some people speculating that THE WORLD WILL END the moment the Mayan Calendar ends.

I'm not sure if I want to believe this one, but I DO think it would make a GREAT CONTEST for a post-apocalyptic book!

Here's how you can win one of five ebook copies of Wormwood....

To enter the contest, simply tell me the exact date that the Mayan Calendar ends.

Click here to enter your response.

For extra entries, tweet about the contest with the hashtag #WormwoodContest (it's important that you use the hashtag so that I can track your tweets - a necessary step if I'm to give you extra entries... so don't forget!) You must enter the contest first in order to be eligible for the extra tweet entries.

Contest closes at 11:59 pm on August 31st, 2012. Good luck!

Wings of the fallen, Garrette

On September 1st, five winners will be selected using Random.org.
Once again, each of these winners will receive a free ebook copy of Wormwood!

Here's a blurb about the book: (or check out the trailer on the right)

Against a devastated landscape, a legion of one hundred fierce half-angels is hell bent on purging the Earth of all humans. But one of them, the tormented Tiamat Wormwood, struggles against his mission, and when he rescues a beautiful woman named Kali, he finds the attraction as troubling as it is miraculous. Can Kali trust the one creature who could be responsible for her ultimate demise? Beautifully written and excitingly told, Wormwood creates a world that is as strange as it is compelling. Filled with brilliantly executed twists and turns on every page that are guaranteed to keep you guessing, Wormwood is one of the most exciting debuts of the year.

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D.H. Nevins is the author of The Wormwood Trilogy, a Dystopian Fantasy series like no other.
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ANGEL OF SHADOW - Excerpt from Chapter 9

THE FOLLOWING NOVELS ARE OFFERED VIA RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY ALL ENTRANTS MUST JOIN 'MODERN GOOD READS' GROUP http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/99986-modern-good-reads

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing:

A huge thank you to everyone that entered: Thank you!!!I hope each and every one of you has a fantastic weekend.

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THE FOLLOWING NOVELS ARE OFFERED VIA
RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
ALL ENTRANTS MUST
JOIN 'MODERN GOOD READS'
GROUP
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/99986-modern-good-reads

A huge thank you to everyone that entered: Thank you!!!
I hope each and every one of you has a fantastic weekend.