NITE FIRE: Flash Point - C.L. Schneider's NEW RELEASE!

WIPs and New Releases

1)       Tell us about your New Release…

Ø  What is the story about?

I think the best way to answer that is with the blurb:

Slated for execution, shapeshifting assassin, Dahlia Nite, flees her world to hide in the human realm. As payment for the shelter they unknowingly provide, Dahlia dedicates herself to protecting humans from what truly lives in the shadows. Moving from town to town, she hunts the creatures that threaten an unsuspecting human race; burying the truth that could destroy them all.

But the shadows are shifting. The lies are adding up. And when Sentinel City is threatened by a series of bizarre brutal murders, light is shed on what should never be seen. The secrets that have kept humanity in the dark for centuries are in danger of being exposed.

Wrestling with a lifetime of her own deceptions, Dahlia investigates the killings while simultaneously working to conceal their circumstances. But with each new murder, the little bit of peace she has found in this world begins to crumble. Each new clue leads her to the one place she thought to never go again. Home.

Ø  Who is the main character?

·   The Nite Fire series is told 1^st person from the POV of Dahlia Nite.

·   Dahlia is a lyrriken; a half-dragon/half-human shapeshifter from a parallel world.

·   On her world, Dahlia was an executioner for the dragon-queen, Naalish. The night her empathic abilities emerged, without warning, she faltered in her duties. Condemned by her unforgiving queen, Dahlia fled her world for the only other one she had a hope of blending in: ours.

2)     What inspired this tale?

Ø  How did the story come to you?

·   It started with the development of my main character, as all my stories do. I create my characters first and the stories evolve around them.

·   I’ve always been fascinated with urban legends and I love the concept of shapeshifters and the duality of their daily existence.

·   And who doesn’t want to write about dragons?!?

Ø  Did you have to research for this novel and if so, why?

·   I actually did a fair amount of research.

·   Some of my areas of research included adaptive evolution, transmutation and transmogrification (the ability to transform or change the appearance of something), fires and arson, crime scene investigation, police procedure, empaths, retrocognition, parallel worlds, legendary creatures and dragon lore.

·   I looked into spontaneous human combustion as well as conspiracy theories and the urban legend surrounding reptilian shapeshifters living among us.

·   I also did some research into genetic experiments and parthenogenesis in relation to the reproduction of komodo dragons. Both of those will come in handy later on in the series.

Ø  If you did research, what do you think surprised you most to learn and why?

·   I found a lot of what I read extremely interesting. I think the urban legends and conspiracy theories were the most surprising.

·   The reptilian shapeshifter legend supposedly has biblical roots. It talks about different species of angels, including a serpent/reptilian species (like Lucifer), and claims that the reptilian shapeshifters today are descendants of a human and angel mating. Others claim it’s alien and human. Both insist these shapeshifters are hiding in plain sight, claiming influential jobs including high ranking political positions.

·   I had no idea some of these theories were even out there, but they all tie really well into my series.  

3)     Do you relate to your character?

Ø  Is your protagonist anything like you personally?

There is a little bit of me in Dahlia, I think. Mostly in her likes and dislikes.

Ø  If yes, then how?

·        Dahlia has a fast metabolism, which aids in her rapid healing. She has a sweet tooth and is often popping something yummy into her mouth. The metabolism I don’t have, the sweet tooth—definitely. I think I lived vicariously through her candy bars & donuts!

·        Dahlias wardrobe is functional. She buys fabrics that either protect or stretch (allowing her to shift). She wears jackets to conceal weapons. Boots are all terrain, so that’s mostly what she wears. I love boots and probably have more than she does!

Ø  If no, how do you differ from one another?

·   Dahlia can be very black and white. It was how she was raised and how she has had to live since coming to the human world. Yet, she is at a turning point and you will see her wrestle with the beliefs and ethics she has relied on her whole life.

·   She has survived by deception and manipulation. Dahlia can be a chameleon of sorts, playing whatever part she needs to in order to get the job done (or cover it up). I don’t lie well. I’m pretty ‘much what you see is what you get’. J

Ø  What made you write this character; what made them important to you or made you want to tell their story?

·   The Crown of Stones Trilogy is very near and dear to my heart. I loved every minute of writing those characters and that world, but it was deep and emotionally tasking. After, I knew it was time to try something different.

·   It was hard at first to switch gears. I had lived in Ian Troy’s head and in the world I created for so long! But once I got started, Flash Point was a lot of fun to write.

·    I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to TV and I’m a huge fangirl of far too many shows! I love that, with this series, I can pay homage to a genre that I enjoy so much.

·   I also wanted to write a strong female character that was tough, but still had her own weaknesses and fears. I wanted her goals to be relatable. Sure, she’s hunting creatures from parallel worlds and struggling with her belief in a system of lies that hides those worlds from humanity. But ultimately, Dahlia wants what we all want: to be herself and to be accepted for it. Our current age of social media and snap judgments based on a comment or a ten second video, has made the struggle to be who you are (and the fear of being judged for it) even more difficult. Not that Dahlia’s story is some heavy-handed lesson, but I think the need for acceptance is an inner turmoil that exists in many of us.

4)     Is there anything you specific want readers to know about this piece of work?

The Nite Fire Series is designed as a fast-paced, entertaining read. It is written for adults with dark mature themes, but it’s also fun in its own way.

Each book is designed to play out over a short period of time (a week or two, possibly three). There will be a ‘case of the week’ that ties into an underlying mythology that will unfold a little more in each book.

If you enjoy the pace, characters, and content of such shows as Supernatural, The X-Files, Lost Girl, and Jessica Jones, this might be something for you to check out.

If you have read my Crown of Stones Trilogy, this series has the same level of action and mystery, yet it’s not as heavy emotionally or deals with as many complexities as Crown. Though, Nite Fire will become more complex as the series evolves and more is discovered about Dahlia, the human and dragon connection, the history of the worlds, and their precarious future.

5)     When will the novel be available for purchase?

Ø  Has the book already been published?

·   The paperback version is available now!  The eBook is coming soon!

Ø  If yes, do you have a link available for buying it?

·   Nite Fire: Flash Point (Book 1)

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