Eclipse Reviews: Book Blast, Giveaway & Interview: The Hybrid by Christine Murphy @CLMurphyBooks

The Hybrid

The Wild Clan Sagas

Novel 2

Christine Murphy

Genre: Futuristic Romance

Publisher: KnightFall Publishing

Date of Publication: August 1, 2015

ISBN: 9781311085313

ASIN: B00Z8QXLXO

Number of pages: 200

Word Count: 139,328

Cover Artist: Christine Murphy

Short Book Description:

Sara, a hidden Hybrid disguised as a BioGen Monitor, will find an enslaved Justin being experimented on. She will help him gain his freedom and in the process will gain her own. Trust will grow between them and from that trust will blossom a love which will give them the power to escape BioGen.

Long Book Description:

The ruling hiarchy of the known world, BioGen, continues to manipulate the genetics of the human race to try and prevent the extinction of mind-kind. In their meddling to control life, BioGen combines human DNA with alien. Success is achieved and unique females are created and industrially born. The baby girls are surprising in their beauty and abilities, but BioGen, in their need to control and conquer, force the delicate females away from their caregivers. Their only goal is to hone the powerful gifts of the maturing teenagers. In the end, however, they perish one by one because of the uncaring ways of their handlers until there is only one extraordinary woman remaining.

Born part human and part Phoenix, Sara has hidden among the enemy since she was created. Disguised in the appearance of a Nul working for BioGen, she searches for the truth about her creation and the sisters she lost during childhood. During her duties she is assigned to guard and observe scientific experimentation on a man who she discovers is no other than one of the Wilder males.

Captured as a young man while searching for his brother, Justin is forced into service to be one of the highly coveted Companions. Refusing to be broken and used by the Gen female population he is tortured and then used for genetic research. Under the Headquarter's control his very sanity and memory is almost destroyed. Ultimately BioGen will destroy him if he can't find a way to escape back to The Wilds and his family. The fates bring him a breath-taking woman who is the key to both his freedom and hers.

Thrown together in hopeless circumstances, the fated lovers are initially enemies. However, Sara is instantly drawn to Justin and she has no choice but to free him from BioGen's grasp. At first Justin sees her as nothing more than his way to escape but it doesn't take long for him to see the mysterious beauty under the surface of her disguise. Together they find a way to escape from the enemy's Headquarters.

During their run for freedom they will find the most unlikely allies in both Daman, a high class Companion, and Defiance, an underground group of escaped males who just may have their own agenda. Joining the group of criminals is a dangerous consideration, however, Justin and Sara must team up with Daman, who is now leader of Defiance, if they have any hope of reaching The Wilds. In the end there is no choice as BioGen's assembling army begins an all out attack on Justin's family and the Rogues.

In the search for answers and freedom, Sara and Justin's growing trust and dedication to each other will become a flame of passion and love. They will discover the intense love they have for each other makes them stronger than all of the uncertainties and dangers in their life. Sara's gentle caring will allow Justin to trust again and recover his memories. In return, his belief in her will allow Sara to harness her Phoenix abilities. Only the two of them have the true power to save Justin's family and the Rogues who call The Wilds home.

In one great clash of wills at the edge of civilization a great battle will be waged between BioGen's Nul army, the Rogues, and Defiance. In the midst of the conflict and chaos will be two incredible lovers who will do anything to save those they care for. Justin will rejoin his family and give Sara the strength to harness the fiery ability of her Phoenix side in the final showdown. In the end, only the power of love will prevail and ultimately set everyone free.

Book Video - http://youtu.be/Mji5bytVyBU

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At first she refused to look at the inside of the room. Instead, she shoved the door closed and took a deep breath. Finally, she focused in enough so from the corner of her eyes she could see the room was the same, unchanged from the past. Same sterile white walls, white floor, silver equipment with the many wires and probes, and same medical trays with the shiny silver scissors and scalpels. All of it in her mind were instruments of torture. All she knew was she had to get a grip or she would soon be the one on the table being experimented on.

Distracted she nearly jumped a foot when the Gatherer dressed in white surgical scrubs stepped into view and called out, “I’d be careful if I were you. Even though he’s strapped down this male is a fighter, especially with the amount of hormones and drugs we have pumped into him. He’s already taken out two Monitors and several guards.”

Immediately on the alert Sara spun around to face the male. In her mental state she had unintentionally wandered straight over to where the exam table was located. Glancing up her intention was to quickly back off, but the moment she looked at him she was frozen in place. Every cell of her being focused in on what could only be called the most incredible male she had ever seen. Lying on an exam table, which was tilted up at a 45 degree angle, he was strapped down by his feet, ankles, waist, and his head.

Sara couldn’t help notice every inch of his body was hard muscle encased in tanned skin and every inch of that body strained to escape the bonds. The only area remotely covered was his pelvic area and even that was barely a scrap of white material. She had read books, she had seen pictures, she had heard whispers from other Monitors who had been privy to seeing a male of such caliber. Nothing did justice to those words or images to Sara. This man was virile and obviously aroused, she was sure, by whatever cocktail the Gatherer had given him.

Feeling a rare blush creep up to her cheeks Sara had every intention of turning away until she looked into the male’s face. The breath immediately left her as she beheld the most handsome face she had ever seen, which was saying a lot, considering what she had seen before were prime examples in books and on-line programs. Even scowling furiously while he fought to free himself he still was incredible with his thick layered raven black hair and eyes of a multi-hued hazel which seemed to see straight into her soul..

Meeting those eyes, she gasped and the air that had left her lungs rushed in with a vengeance. Her world seemed to upend for a moment in time as the chiseled features of that face registered in her mind. There was no mistaking the strong jaw, the cheeks, the nose, everything that marked this man as one of the mysterious Wilders, the founding family who had rejected BioGen’s requirements. Deep inside she knew she had to do something to save him, but no matter what she did she was damned. Save him and reveal herself, leave him and know he would die.

The fire she had fought to keep deep inside seemed to sense the presence of the man and heat rushed through her system. In a panic, and knowing her eyes were going to change, Sara tried to look away, but something kept her sight glued to the incredible man before her. Coming to her senses she finally managed to lower her gaze but not before the male’s eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed like he had found his own prey to hunt.

Did you always wanted to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?

When I was younger I wanted to be an actress, a singer, and then an oceanographer. None of those careers came to be and I actually started out taking nursing classes. That didn’t pan out either and I went into the Army for a couple of years before getting out and going back to college. I took a year of Graphic Design but because of life events took a break and ultimately became a laboratory medical technologist. I became an Air Force Officer working in that field and while in the service began writing full time. I recently retired, although now work in the civilian sector but I continue to write because that is my first love and have always wanted to do it since I was very young.

When did you first consider yourself a “writer”?

I first considered myself a writer the day I made the true commitment. My husband had been through several rounds of chemotherapy because he was diagnosed with leukemia and was finishing up with a bone marrow transplant. I had wanted to start writing for a long time but life as it goes kept me too busy so I kept putting it off. After going through what I did with my husband I realized life is too short and I should just go for it. So I sat down, started to put characters, plots, story lines together, and started typing. Haven’t looked back since and have enjoyed myself so much I’m not sure why I didn’t commit to what I really wanted – to be a writer – sooner.

How long did it take to get your first book published?

My first book took about a year to be published. Partially because I had written it and then went back and rewrote it away from first person format. I had originally wanted to go in that direction because of one of the series I had read but then changed my mind. Once I was ready to find a publisher it took a while but Red Sage accepted me as a new writer. After reviewing, editing, a cover made, and all the other good stuff that goes with publishing a book it was released. It was a lot of hard work but definitely exciting being my first book.

Do you do another job except for writing and can you tell us more about it?

Besides writing I also am the supervisor of a hospital blood bank. By training I am a lab medical technologist who is specialized in blood banking. I also have my Masters degree in immunohematology. In the blood bank we perform type and screens on blood samples and crossmatch blood units for patients that require transfusions. We work with all ages of patients – adult to premature infant. I have worked in the field for over twenty five years and have used some of my knowledge in the books that I write.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?

My latest book being published in August in The Hybrid – the second book in The Wild Clan Sagas with the first book being The Source.

Summary: Sara is a hidden Hybrid who will find Justin and free him. Their love will give them strength to escape BioGen.

Who is your publisher? Or do you self-publish?

I actually have a publisher and I self-publish. For my series – The Sphinx Warriors – all seven of those books are published through Red Sage Publishing. For my series – The Midnight Riders – the first book – Road To Redemption is self-published through my starter publishing company – KnightFall Publishing. For the Wild Clan Sagas – these are also self-published under the KnightFall Publishing. KnightFall Publishing is in the beginning phases right now as I team up with CK Productions.

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

My average is around 6 months from start to finish. The first year of my writing I had 1 book published but worked on the rest of the series while we were going through all the publication steps. The second year I was pumping out quite a few books and had an average of about one every four months. Ended up being 7 published in the next two years. Decided I didn’t want to burn myself out quite that fast so am planning at least two books a year – maybe three. This year I will have two books published counting the one in August with an additional planned for the Christmas Holidays.

What can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?

I will be continuing to work on both my Midnight Riders series and the Wild Clan Sagas. The Midnight Riders are more of a paranormal romance genre while the Wild Clan is more towards a futuristic/fantasy romance type of genre. I will continue to work in both of these areas. I like romance all the way around but prefer paranormal and fantasy when I read books. In the future I may delve into other areas but for now I have plenty to work with in these realms.

What genre would you place your books into?

The seven books of the Sphinx Warriors Series and The Midnight Riders Series are paranormal romance. The Wild Clan Sagas are in more of the futuristic/fantasy romance genre. I tend to migrate towards these areas in my reading and so naturally have followed suit in my writing. I enjoy romance but like that extra twist so I can develop more of a high paced creative kind of story line.

What made you decide to write that genre of book?

Some of my favorite ready was in the science fiction/fantasy genre but then I migrated over to romance. I started reading just the classical romance but happened to find Christine Feehan and her Carpathian series. Those books first hooked me into the paranormal romance. After that I found JR Ward and other writers in the paranormal realm. So, when I started writing I decided to go with paranormal but wanted to initially go outside the whole vampire-like romance. I wanted a unique background with mystery but paranormal so did some research and decided a plot with an Egyptian-like flavor to it would be just how I wanted to start. Hence The Sphinx Warriors were born. Of course my heart is still with the vampire-like heroes so my next series was the Midnight Riders. They’re not vampires but have some of the same characteristics. The Wild Clan Sagas starting with The Source was something I came up with on a run, believe it or not, because we were talking about a new flu virus that had developed at the time. The Source basically wrote itself and then I had so much extra characters and plot that The Hybrid naturally followed.

Do you have a favorite character from your books? And why are they your favorite?

Picking a single favorite character is difficult because all of them are a part of me that went into the book. Perhaps my initial favorite was my first book Sphinx Resurrected because it was my first project and the physical characteristics came from two of my favorite people that I had known in the past. I think there was more in Michael and Stormy as far as my personal experiences from when I was younger on an emotional level. In the Hybrid, I really enjoyed creating Saraphina because she is a strong character who has been through unimaginable challenges in life and still survived. On the outside she was hard because she had to survive in an atmosphere where everyone was trying to kill her. On the inside she was kind and good-spirited and made the choice to free Justin even though releasing him was risking her own existence. She asked for nothing in return but knew he was important and had to be saved.

How long have you been writing?, and who or what inspired you to write?

I have been writing since 2012. I had always wanted to write dabbling a bit in school and then taking an online course in writing but never actually committed. Life was always keeping me busy and with marriage, kids, work, and being in the military I just didn’t have time. In 2010 my husband was diagnosed as having leukemia. After watching him go through chemo and a bone marrow transplant and surviving I realized life is too short to not grab onto what you want to do now. So, I decided then and there it was time to start writing no matter how busy I was. Right then and there I got my computer and started researching for the first book and have never looked back. It has been a great time and I have lots of great ideas to keep on writing more books.

Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?

My routine with writing is that I have two computers set up in my kitchen on the center island. One computer is for writing and the other is for graphics such as for my book covers and book videos. I have a stool that actually belongs to my husband that has the KISS band right on the seat. When I sit at this location I can see the living room and the television as well so when I need a writing break I just look up from the computer. I wear headphones while I write so I can tune out the background noise. I usually listen to Nickelback, Theory of A Deadman, Maroon 5, or other great bands. Sometimes I even wear my ChristineMurphyBooks cap to block out some of the visual distractions around me.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?

When I can find them I definitely ready them. Sometimes I ask for a review and then forget to go back and review. Overall I try and scan the different reviews – good or bad – because I can use them on my website. The first reviews I got was kind of slap because reviewers can be pretty straight forward but I realized no matter how bad the review it can be used to grow. I’ve learned to take the suggestions and improve my work. Overall it has been a learning experience since I first started writing. From time to time I’ve seen a review where it just looks like the person had a bad day. I just have to shrug and wonder because that same book may have had a high review from someone else. I guess you just have to keep it in perspective as far as reviews go. Bad or good they get your books looked at by readers so in the long run I think it helps.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?

Almost all of my books I research the timeline, background, society, and so on that I want to write about. Because I like to write series, I figure out what I want to call the series such as The Wild Clan Sagas. Then I think about the different titles, character names, locations, and so on before I actually start the writing. Only one book have I started writing and wasn’t completely happy with the title. About halfway through with the writing I finally came up with a title I like so it went from Sphinx Recovered to Sphinx Transformed. I like the Transformed much better as it suited the story line. With my current book – The Hybrid – I had that title before I started writing. I also have the titles for the rest of the series once I get to that point – The Companion and The Wilds.

How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?

For the character names I look at the time period I want. For example, ancient Egypt so looked for Egyptian names or names with meanings of that time frame that are more modern. Some names of characters I just pick because I like them. Others it was just random at the time or a name of someone I know. For places those can be flexible. One was based on a desert, the other on the locations of motorcycle rallies that go on during different times of the year. For The Wild Clan Sagas – The Source and The Hybrid – I chose Denver because it is a beautiful city but also because the name of a genetics research location is centralized in Denver, Colorado. Genetics is a thread that runs throughout this series in some form or fashion.

Are character names and place names decided after their creation? Or do you pick a character/place name and then invent them?

For me I create the timeframe and locations I want to do the story line in. Next I create the names to match the timeframe and/or location. Finally I create the imagery or appearances of the characters. The actual personalities of the characters take shape as I write. Sometimes they for their personality in previous books as background/supporting characters. Sometimes they develop in as the main character in their own novel. For examples Saraphina, the main female character in The Hybrid, had a small part in The Source. Her appearance was already that of a Nul Monitor but smaller than the other Nul Monitors already marking her as unique. Her personality was much more laid back and caring than the other Monitors who were more masculinized and cruel. Still she had to appear hard but in the end she let Crystal and Nathan escape from BioGen by simply not stopping them.

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?

A combination of these is how it seems to happen. Sometimes I will know what kind of personality they already have or they will develop in the book. Sometimes their personality will change in the book. Sometimes they will be introduced in one book briefly to start their character traits such as Saraphina in The Source. Then I further develop them in their own book where she goes on to become the main character in The Hybrid.

Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this story is..")

In my stories there is a central theme such as in the Hybrid that is threaded throughout the book. The central premise of The Wild Clan Sagas, including The Hybrid is that no matter how advanced civilization becomes or what challenges face us love is the most important factor. Love and family is everything to fight for no matter what the cost. In the Hybrid, Sara longs for love and Justin has lost his family and has been captured by BioGen. Together they find each other and escape. They are fated to become lovers and only as a team will they find their freedom to escape to The Wilds. They will be free to love who they want and be with their family without the influence of a futuristic government determined to use them as nothing but genetic material for procreation.

Which format of book do you prefer, eBook, hardback, or paperback?

I believe all formats serve their purpose but my favorite personally is paperback. I like the feel of something tangible in my hands and can take it anywhere. It is good for traveling because I can put it in my backpack, purse, wherever and I don’t have to worry about a power source if I run out of energy. Ebook is good too because I don’t have to worry about recycling or donating the paperback when I am done with. Ebook I can read on different devices and I can magnify the clarity if my eyes get tired. When I deployed with the military I took both ebooks and paperback.

What is your favorite book and Why? Have you read it more than once?

I have so many favorite books that it is hard to pick jut one. Right now I’m reading Cat’s Lair by Christine Feehan – one of the Leopards Series – and it is a great read. She is an incredible writer and I’ve enjoyed her books for years. She was my first paranormal romance writer that I indulged in before JR Ward or the others. Her Dark Series with the Carpathians was the first time I got into the series format and since then have always been fascinated with series. I think the multi-book format allows a writer to better develop not only the characters but a whole complete society and structure for the characters to exist in. That is why I have gone toward the direction of series writing. The Source started as a single book but after writing it I realized it has so many characters and plot lines that I could continue to build on and work with so The Hybrid was created.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favorite/worst book to movie transfer?

Books transferring to movies usually works well but depends on the entity formatting the book from novel to screen play. My favorite books that have been transferred were the Twilight series and Jupiter Rising. On the other end of the scale I like the True Blood series so I enjoy both ends from sweet to spicy. Once again I stick with the more paranormal and science fiction/futuristic/fantasy romance type genres.

Your favorite food is?

My favorite foods are pizza, Doritos, Oreos, and macaroni and cheese. I also like cheesecake like my mom makes me. I like so many others too but I think those are main junk food yummies. My favorite drink to go with those on a party night is Jack Daniels and lemonade. Yum!

Your favorite singer/group is?

As I work on my books I have a couple of different groups I like to listen to. Nickelback, Theory of A Dead Man, and Maroon 5 to name my main trio. There are several other singers/groups I listen to but these are the top three.

Your favorite color is?

The rainbow! I like all colors that are vibrant but I do have a couple that catch my eye more. I think my two favorite are greens and pinks. Greens because they are found everywhere in nature and is soothing to the soul. Pinks because they are bright and exciting and are found in so many different flowers. Next would be blues because I like guys with blue eyes, the blue sky of Florida where I live, and the blue of the ocean where the water is so pure you can see to the bottom.

Your favorite Author is?

I would have to say JR Ward and all of her incredible Black Dagger Brotherhood men. Her writing was both exciting and dark and I like all of the brooding males running around. There was no pansy cutesy hand holding and love scenes. No, the character interactions are raw and more realistic including the male view on “feelings” and the way they think. She captured both the masculine and feminine (and some in between) in her writing. She wasn’t afraid to take her scenes to the extreme of the sensual or the disgusting. All of it was fascinating and kept my attention for hours. My other writer I enjoy is Christine Feehan and her Carpathians and Leopard characters.

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Christine Murphy started her writing career at a young age even before she was putting words to paper. Living in the Midwest left her with plenty of time to read and develop her creative mind. Her first short story was written in grade school and was in a fantasy-type style. Later she took an online course in writing and created another story based on the adventures of a Native-American youth searching for her purpose in life and filled with lots of symbology.

Science-fiction fantasy was her main reading preference but quickly shifted to romance. In the beginning she preferred Contemporary Romance but that didn't last long when she discovered Christine Feehan and JR Ward. Paranormal Romance had infected her and she read as much of it as her voracious mind could adsorb.

Eventually Christine joined the work force, and although she continued to read, she didn't pursue her need to create her own worlds other than in her head. Her imagination continued but reality kept her busy including a successful medical based career in the military. Working as a clinical laboratory scientist she was stationed in several locations in the United States and in numerous areas of the world including England, Italy, Germany, Africa, and the Middle East. Finally her career brought her to a small town outside the Tampa Bay area in Florida. This is where she finally realized time is too short to put off those enjoyments in life especially when her husband was struck with leukemia. He successfully recovered but it made her decide she wanted to pursue writing which seemed to be put off her whole life.

Within two years she had completed an entire series - The Sphinx Warriors Series, and started the first book of The Wild Clan Sagas. Currently she continues to write from her Florida home while looking out her back lanai to a small pond where the wild-life gathers and the flowers bloom in exotic pinks and purples. This is her place of peace and freedom she has searched for all her life and where her husband and crazy African Gray Parrot, Raider, hang out with her. It’s the place where her creativity runs wild while she spins tales of adventure and passion. She captures the unique characters, civilizations, conflict, passion, and love in her writing from the fantasies which still spin in her head. She captures the strong, spirited, and powerfully attracted characters and all of their adventures and share it with others who are searching for that very thing to make their lives more exciting.

If she accomplishes nothing else in life, she hopes to share the romantically magical worlds and the lovers she sees with all of the passionate readers out there. Her next projects are continuing to work on her Wild Clan Sagas and her Midnight Riders Series as she partners with KnightFall Publishing and CK Productions.

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