Awakening: Rise as the Fall Unfolds by Carissa Andrews Science Fiction - Thriller - Urban Fantasy Spotlight - Interview - Giveaway***

 

Awakening: Rise as the Fall Unfolds 

by Carissa Andrews 

Publication date: November 12th 2019

Genres: Science Fiction, Thriller, Urban Fantasy

The final five angels have been located and averting the apocalypse means somehow recreating the birth of Christ. 

Morgan never expected total annihilation would come down to the actions of five misfit angels. But as each one’s hidden angelic power unfolds, so does the sinister truth… the entire Jesus storyline has been wiped from the collective consciousness, leaving a tear in the fabric of reality.

The final five need to figure out how their gifts are meant to fit together in order to set things right. However, coming to terms with the responsibility resting on their shoulders doesn’t come easy. To make matters worse, the demons have found them and unless they get on the same page quickly, the darkness will consume them all. But how can they make things right when the thing that’s missing happened more than 2000 years ago?

One thing’s for sure. If they fail, existence ceases.

If you love books like Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s American Gods or Good Omens, Joe Hill’s Nos4A2, or Stephen King’s (Richard Bachman) Blaze, then you’ll love Awakening!

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An Interview with Carissa Andrews

Welcome to JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder. We’re excited to be showcasing Awakening: Rise as the Fall Unfolds today. Is it a new release?
It sure is! It just came out on November 12th. 

Please tell us a little bit about it?

Well, Awakening is an urban fantasy/alternative history/scifi mix. I can’t quite seem to write in a single genre if I tried. Ha! (I blame Joss Whedon.) It’s a tale about five angels who have to come together to first, learn they are angels who have been asleep, to then accomplishing a goal so big it could save the multiverse. Of course, being true to my style of writing, they can’t seem to agree on the direction to take and need to find a way to pull things together before the darkness consumes everything.

What inspired you to write it?
It’s kind of interesting… the storyline for Awakening is actually two separate ideas that got merged together. Shortly after the 2016 election, I was thinking a lot about “sleeper” angels. What would they look like, why would they be called? I started writing this story in a response to this thought process, but I found I didn’t have the whole picture. Then, this time last year, my writer’s group had a Christmas writing prompt to view the birth of Jesus from a different perspective. (There were secular prompts, too, but this one jumped off the page at me.) Interestingly, when I was in my 20’s (and well before I started writing books), I wondered about what time travel would look like to the world view of ancient people. What sorts of things could be altered or created. When combined, the rest of Awakening unfolded and here we are.

Titles and names of characters are always interesting. How did you choose yours?
I’m a strange mixture or meaning and purpose when it comes to names. I love etymology and mixing words together. Just check out my blog post on the meaning behind Pendomus. Sometimes, a name is specifically given to a book or character because the meaning is what I’m aiming for. For example, Pendomus. For characters, though, Liam in my novel, Love is a Merciless God (found exclusively in the Playing with Fire box set until February 11, 2020) is one of them. Ironically, when I was researching names, I found Joss Whedon must have done the same thing when he was naming Angel. So, that totally made my day. Then, for others, like Braham and Thea in Awakening (as well as Traeton, Fenton, and Tethys in the Pendomus Chronicles) – their names came to me and that was that.

In terms of Awakening’s title – I felt that one came to me on its own because I wanted my angels to “awaken” from their human lives and realize their purpose was bigger on this planet.

Who is your favorite character, and why?

Oh, most definitely Bea. She’s an old woman who no longer gives a crap about vanity or trying to impress. She speaks her mind and was just tons of fun to write. Interestingly enough, I was having a conversation with my Miscreant Reader Group on Facebook about where she must have originated from. As it turns out, I think my great-Grandma Lamira might have something to do with it.

What do you hope readers learn or receive from this story?
One of my favorite reviews on the book said this: “Good science fiction takes us to a different world and lets us see another place. Great science fiction lets us see what our world might look like through a totally different lens and opens us to worlds of possibilities. Awakenings does that and more. We currently live in the world where many people have a hard time finding space for science and religion to co-exist. In Awakening, Carissa Andrews not only moves them into the same house, but she finds a way to marry science to religion in a totally captivating fashion. You are going to love this journey! Prepare to be challenged with a fascinating 'what if...' that will keep you thinking long after the final page is turned.”

I couldn’t ask for anything more than this.

Which Authors have inspired you over the years, and what is it that drew you to them?
I love authors who twist the knife on stereotypical beliefs. My all-time favorite is obviously Joss Whedon (even though his writing is more for TV and movies). But I also love Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, Charlaine Harris, JK Rowling, and so many more. I have loved books since I was very young, so narrowing them down to the ones that would stand out most is so hard!

Is there anything you would like to add before we call it a day?
As I head into 2020, I’d love to mention that next year is pretty monumental for me. I’m in the process of making a run at the NYT Bestseller List with a brand-new series “The Windhaven Witches.” So if you like Awakening and would like to see what else I’m up to, I would be thrilled if you head over to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iBooks to get a copy while the series is in preorder.

Thank you so much for joining us. Good luck with Awakening.

Author Bio:

Carissa Andrews is a freelance writer, award-winning graphic designer, indie author coach, and internationally bestselling author from Crosslake Minnesota. She is the President of the Lakes Area Writers Alliance, a 501c3 nonprofit for writers in central Minnesota, as well as the owner of Author Revolution, LLC – an organization geared toward helping new authors navigate the waters of indie publishing. For 2020, Carissa has her sights set on becoming a NYT or USA Today Bestselling Author with her upcoming series, The Windhaven Witches. You can learn more about Carissa, her services, and her upcoming novels by visiting her websites: www.carissaandrews.com, www.authorrevolution.org, or authorrevolution.teachable.com

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