Hi everyone! I’m Lex Chase and I’m here on The Novel Approach today to celebrate the awesomeness of GRL! This time I’ll be going as a Featured Author and I’m excited to have snagged a spot. I have finally managed to step up to the “big kid table” as I call it.
I’m excited to meet old fans, and new ones alike as well as pick the brains of my peers. Hopefully, I could con a few folks into a game of Pandemic, Forbidden Island, or Kittens in a Blender (Yes. Kittens in a Blender is a real thing.) and maybe treat the winners into a giveaway!
I am the author of the superhero comedy Checkmate series which you can pick up here and now I’m kicking off the Darkmore Saga, starting with Chasing Sunrise. The series is a definite departure from the bright candy colors and whizz bang of Checkmate’s world of superheroes. Chasing Sunrise is darker, more visceral, and deals with the hard hitting topic of domestic violence in an gay relationship. Domestic violence in the LGBT community is little explored, and many don’t come forward for the complications of privacy, or revealing embarrassing or often misunderstood information.
Of course in Chasing Sunrise, it’s set against a backdrop of the lush world of vampires and shifters. The main character, Sevon, is not only highly androgynous, but a full-time transvestite. That is actually him on the cover there. To Sevon, his gowns, corsets, jewelry, and elaborate hairstyles are his armor and his comfort in the face of the abuse he suffers.
Like last year here on TNA, I did a YouTube reading of Cashing the Reality Check (Book Two of Checkmate) if you want to wander down memory lane, you can check that out here! Also check out how much heavier I was. Whoa!
So here today I’m presenting a reading of Chasing Sunrise. I’m hoping to do a reading of another scene from it at GRL, probably a naughty one~ Hoohoo~ ;D
Sit back, relax, and please put up with me for 11 minutes. (Who the hell watches a YouTube vid for more than 3 minutes. Unless it was a TedTalk.)
Genre: Vampires, Werewolves/Shapeshifters, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy
Series: The Darkmore Saga: Book One
Length: Novel
Published: July 25, 2014
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 978-1-62798-776-9
Buy: Paperback or eBook
Blurb:
Chasing Sunrise
The Darkmore Saga: Book One
On the Coastal Bend of Texas, a hidden kingdom called Darkmore lies in ruins, and King Sevon Maraté is trapped. Using Sevon as a mouthpiece and a scapegoat, Lord Dominic rules from the shadows. Born of royal verkolai blood and as beautiful as he is lethal, Sevon possesses the ability to part the Veil separating his world from hundreds of others. His gift is his chance to escape, but Dominic refuses to relinquish his tool for power. Dominic forges an ambitious plan to invade the prosperous land of Priagust. Only a select few know the mythic kingdom of shifters exists. Sevon is out of options for his people’s survival, and cooperating with Dominic is his only chance.
On their foray into Priagust, Dominic’s men kidnap and interrogate a shifter named Jack. Even under torture, Jack’s loyalty to his kind never wavers. But as Jack’s knowledge about Darkmore’s king and its history unsettles Sevon, a curious bond begins to form. Despite Sevon’s mistrust, Jack is determined to tame Sevon’s wild heart and perhaps earn his freedom. As invasion looms, Sevon wonders if trusting Jack will lead him into another trap or if he should forget about chasing the sunrise and remain Dominic’s compliant prisoner.
100% of the presale royalties of this book will go to Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center’s Domestic Violence Service.
About the Author:
Lex Chase once heard Stephen King say in a commercial, “We’re all going to die, I’m just trying to make it a little more interesting.” She knew then she wanted to make the world a little more interesting.
Weaving tales of cinematic, sweeping adventure, epic love—and depending on how she feels that day—Lex sprinkles in high-speed chases, shower scenes, and more explosions than a Hollywood blockbuster. She loves tales of men who kiss as much as they kick ass. She believes if you’re going to going to march into the depths of hell, it better be beside the one you love.
Lex is a pop culture diva and her DVR is constantly backlogged. She wouldn’t last five minutes without technology in the event of the apocalypse and has nightmares about refusing to leave her cats behind. She is incredibly sentimental, to the point that she gets choked up at holiday commercials. But like the lovers driven to extreme measures to get home for the holidays, Lex believes everyone deserves a happy ending.
Lex also has a knack for sarcasm, never takes herself seriously, and has been nicknamed “The Next Alan Moore” by her friends for all the pain and suffering she inflicts on her characters. She is a Damned Yankee hailing from the frozen backwoods of Maine residing in the ’burbs of Northwest Florida where it could be 80F and she’d be a popsicle.
She is grateful and humbled for all the readers. She knows very well she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them and welcomes feedback.
You can find her on those Facebook and Twitter things at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LXChase
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lex_Chase
Find her blog at http://lexchase.com or drop her an e-mail at lex.a.chase@gmail.com.
GIVEAWAY TIME!
Want to win an eBook copy of Chasing Sunrise? On the July 22nd I’ll name one lucky winner three days before the July 25th release!
What do you have to do? Go onto YouTube and cut and paste the link of your favorite video for me to check out! Could be a song, could be a movie trailer, could be anything you’d like! (Cat videos. Cat videos are always the best. ;D)
The Novel Approach Reviews 
I debated a bit between Maz Jobrani’s classic “Happy Birthday” skit from Cedric the Entertainer’s old Fox show (but the YouTube version cuts off the setup, which is half the joke), old San Jose Sharks Quick Quiz videos, and various Sesame Street things, but in the end I had to pick this one. Behold the glory of Glove and Boots’ “The History of Television,” featuring Mario (the only non-Muppet puppet I’ve ever loved):
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Bwahahaha! Awesome Trix! I’m fond of the IKEA Cats commercial. It’s a gorgeous ad and will BREAK YOUR FACE SO HARD. :'(
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Aww, that last shot of the cat’s face just does me in!
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There’s a lot of bits that get me. The cinematography is breathtaking. The part with the sphinx looking up at all the light bulbs is one of my absolute favorites. And the kittens playing in the children’s section. But that end where it’s the cat in the bed I’m all I QUIT. *UGLY CRIES*
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I needed some Angus McGonagle (the gargling Argyle gargoyle) and Mark Hamill, and hey, who wouldn’t?:
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Lol! What in Sweet Baby Jesus did I just watch? LOL
This however is quite possibly one of my favorites. I love CGP Grey so hard. <3
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I’m a bit hooked on this song right now and I couldn’t think of any other video I wanted to share. Hope you can enjoy it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTvAwhaGY88
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OMG HB! OMG! You know that part where you hear a bit of a song in a thing and it gets stuck in your head? THAT’S THE ONE. Love it! :D
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Well, I have a lot of favorite videos, but this is one that living in Florida, I can relate to this.
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Plus this one featuring Skylar Astin from Pitch Perfect. Freaking love him.
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Oh man! BOTH of those are amazing! Whereabouts in Florida are you? :D I’m in the panhandle up in UCLA AKA Upper Corner of Lower Alabama. LOL
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I’m down in the Space Coast. Great to meet another Florida gal :)
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Let me tell you how fun it was to have my AC go out the other day. OH MAN.
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Kittens in a Blender! I will so play with you! I think my family finds it a bit too disturbing. :( I own it, but never get to play…
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The sad part is I am a hardcore cat person. I only own two, but y’know. When I hit 70 I might turn into the Crazy Cat Lady. LOL I was actually really upset about the game the first time, just reading the rules. But once I played it, I’m stupid good at it. I’m ruthless about winning and blending other people’s kittens. And a few times I sacrificed my own to the mighty blender. I actually once blended all of my brother’s kittens and eliminated him from a four player round. LOL
I saw a review on one site that said to not play it with a cat person. Ever. The group they played with the girl burst into tears. Aaaaw.
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#1 LOVE your hair!!! #2 Thanks for writing about domestic violence. It’s so hard for people who’ve not experienced it to understand. I can’t wait to see you again at GRL!
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Aaaaw! Thanks Deni! :D I’m definitely easy to find in a crowd!
And I sooooo agree! Even on both sides of the issue with straight couples as well as gay ones. The problem about LGBT couples in abusive relationships is it’s so often misunderstood or dismissed like it just doesn’t happen. To this day my own family doesn’t fully understand or acknowledge what I went through at the hands of my girlfriend.
My stance on domestic violence, especially in fiction, is somehow portrayed as alluring or a desirable lifestyle. In the case of the stranglehold that Dominic has on Sevon I DEFINITELY want to show that such a lifestyle is not hot, or sexy, or desirable under any stretch of the imagination.
Though I’d imagine a good number of readers might not get it, because they’ve never been in it. Or they might find things like Dominic’s relationship with Sevon was ACTUALLY hot and consider Jack a home-wrecker. (No lie. That ACTUALLY happened.)
Also I seem to read Dominic and Kerrigan’s parts with such gusto. LOLOLOL What. That’s not right. D:
AND SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU AGAIN TOO! :D
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdUysoK6tdQ You know… Because I love horror movies, and a creepy doll is all supernatural stuff ^_^
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Aaaaaah! Dess! OMG. Man. I need to look at pictures of kittens after that one! I’m such a horror movie wimp! (says the author that disembowels characters. LOL)
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Kyahahaa! I was born in the 80’s and had bad to none in the parental supervision department, so I LOVE this stuff ^_^ But here’s someting to help! ^_^
http://icanhas.cheezburger.com/share/8256553728
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Daaaaaaw! What a sweet baby! My thing was the A-Team, GI Joe, Transformers, Indiana Jones, and of course He-Man, She-Ra, and My Little Pony. LOL. Even Temple of Doom was a bit much for me! LOL
Watching back the Carebears movies and Rainbow Brite and the Starstealer OMG SO NOT FOR KIDS! O_O
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I did all that too! I also had all those things in various toy forms, and a cast iron Voltron, where the heads that were the hands actually shot off. It was a super safe kids toy! ^_~
And then one day after a dentist appointment, the dad to my younger two sisters gave me a choice. It was either Rainbow Brite or one of the Carebears movies at the time in the theaters, of the first Child’s Play.
Guess which one I decided to see, and disturbed people when I laughed so very hard when Chucky took out the babysitter?
Never looked back ^_~ I’m such a broken, broken thing ^_^
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Because, well, yes.
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OH YES! Did you hear Simon’s trying to raise money for a full color short? :D I want a Simon’s Cat plushie sooooo bad. :( But so expensive!
(And here I was sure you’d post the Unity trailer. HAHAHA!)
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WE HAZ A WINNAR! Congrats Lisa! You have scored yourself an advanced eBook copy of Chasing Sunrise! <3
Contact me at lex.a.chase@gmail.com and we'll get you all set! :D
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