Guest Post: Jaye Frances, Author of The Kure

Thank you, Jennifer and Melissa, for hosting me on 1000 Plus Books to Read today. I really appreciate the opportunity to talk about The Kure, and to let your readers know about my “Resolve To Read” promotion going on right now through Amazon.

I’m often asked what aspect of the paranormal genre I enjoy the most. I suppose if I had to choose just one, it would be the process of developing a character’s unique personality, and then, after incorporating the influences of history and background, blending it all together to make them who—and sometimes what—they are.

I love reading a great story with characters who aren’t afraid to stretch their emotional and physical endurance. It adds to the “life” of the character, pushing them off the page and into my imagination, where I can experience their joys and disappointments, worry about them through challenge and heartbreak, and always hold out hope that a happy ending is somewhere in the future.

As a writer, I’m constantly testing my imaginary friends by challenging their integrity, stamina and resolve—a necessary requirement if they are to survive an onslaught of terrifying threats from this world and beyond.

In The Kure, one of the main characters, John Tyler, seeks out an innocent woman—a virgin on her 18^th birthday—to ask for her help in performing a forbidden healing ritual from an ancient manuscript. But his persistence in pursuing the ancient rite releases a merciless evil that demands his compliance for awakening its dark power.

In the following excerpt, John has been plunged into a frightening netherworld after insisting on hearing a passage from the forbidden book, the Kure. In his despair, he clutches at wisps of hope, trying to find answers and the strength to overcome his fear.

Here’s an excerpt:

From the moment of his arrival in this place of desolation, he had been consumed with a single overriding question: Where am I? Now he wanted the answer to something far more important: Why am I here?

He remembered the doctor’s old book and the seldom spoken rumor that was as intrinsic to the pagan cures as the scandalous whispers that spread them: Once a spell was unleashed, it could not be stopped. Had simply reading from the book invited the vengeful wrath of some long-dead warlock? Had he unwittingly unleashed a forsaken demon who had used his necromantic skills to summon him to this lightless domain of the grave?

Stoking the remains of his spent courage, John called on his memories—his mother’s photograph, his father’s pocket watch, and finally, his first sight of Sarah, standing at the entrance to the parlor, her beauty chasing away every other thought, the unspoken possibilities overwhelming even the pain of his affliction.

Seeking the sanctuary of her comforting form, he closed his eyes, forcing his mind to pull her from the disorder and confusion. But when her image finally came, he could not hold it, and he watched in despair as her face shattered into a thousand fragments of broken innocence. The prick and tingle of useless muscle made him realize he was trying to reach out, to catch the fading shards of her image. Yet his vacant embrace only reminded him of the empty ache of what might have been—watching sunsets together from his porch, sharing dinner in front of the fireplace, and the warm touch of her skin against his.

It was his punishment, he decided, for insisting the doctor resurrect the evil manuscript, for seeking out someone to perform the ancient rite, and for his unconscionable willingness to victimize another for his own selfish survival.

Here’s a brief synopsis:

John Tyler, a young man in his early twenties, awakens to find a ghastly affliction taking over his body. When the village doctor offers the conventional, and potentially disfiguring, treatment as the only cure, John tenaciously convinces the doctor to reveal an alternative remedy—a forbidden ritual contained within an ancient manuscript called the Kure.

Although initially rejecting the vile and sinister rite, John realizes, too late, that the ritual is more than a faded promise scrawled on a page of crumbling paper. And as cure quickly becomes curse, the demonic text unleashes a dark power that drives him to consider the unthinkable—a depraved and wicked act requiring the corruption of an innocent soul.

Ultimately, John must choose between his desperate need to arrest the plague that is destroying his body, and the virtue of the woman he loves, knowing the wrong decision could cost him his life.

              

For a limited time, read “The Kure” for only $.99 (kindle version)

I always spend the last few days of December reviewing my writing plan for the coming year—to determine what’s going to receive priority and how I will budget my time to make sure I get it done. During one of those planning sessions, I noticed my husband was also putting a few goals together for the new year. When I asked him to tell me about his “resolutions,” he said that one of them was to read more, especially books that fall outside his favorite genres, “just to see what else is out there.” We began to talk about how many more people are now reading books of all kinds, primarily due to increased availability and choice of low-cost eBooks for the kindle and nook. I often see comments from readers who decided to try a particular author’s work because it was ninety-nine cents, or in some cases, free. Then my husband asked an interesting question: “Why don’t you offer some kind of promotion to encourage more people to read The Kure, with the idea that they’ll be more inclined to read the book if you temporarily lower the price?” I really had to think about this one, but after realizing it might motivate a few more folks who are not familiar with The Kure to take a look, I decided to do it. I’m calling it “Resolve To Read”, and it’s going on right now. The kindle version of The Kure can be purchased for ninety-nine cents on Amazon. So if you were planning on buying a kindle version anyway, why not take advantage of the “Resolve To Read” promotion and save two bucks?

Author Bio:

Jaye Frances was born in the Midwest and grew up surrounded by traditional values and conservative attitudes (which she quickly discarded). She readily admits that her life’s destination has been the result of an open mind and a curiosity about all things irreverent, and invites visitors to her website with a friendly caveat: “Be forewarned, my life has not followed the traditional path of homemaker, wife, and mother.” When she’s not consumed by her writing, Jaye enjoys cooking, traveling to all places tropical and “beachy” and taking pictures—lots of pictures—many of which wind up on her website. Jaye lives on the central gulf coast of Florida, sharing her home with one husband, six computers, four cameras, and several hundred pairs of shoes.



My website is:  http://www.jayefrances.com

My blog is:  http://blog.jayefrances.com

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12718447-the-kure

My Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Jaye-Frances-writer/171415992923563

Links for The Kure on Amazon and BN:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Kure-Jaye-Frances/dp/1466262966/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317073140&sr=1-1

BN:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/the-kure-by-jaye-frances?keyword=the+kure+by+jaye+frances&store=ebook