Saturday, June 14, 2014

Guest Post by Angela Hartley: Seven Gates, seven Books.

Today I have Angela Hartley here, telling us about her newly released novel Copper Descent and her writing journey.

Seven Gates, Seven Books
When I first began my career, I was a novice who believed I controlled my work. I thought I’d write happy children’s books, and everything would be hearts and rainbows. I never set out to write horror, but the genre chose me. Whenever I’d sit down to write, it turned ugly. The worst aspect of humanity would fill my pages with terrible nightmares.

I wondered if there was something fundamentally wrong with me. I also noticed a pattern emerging. The same dark figure appeared in each piece, and he was always the driving force behind the mayhem. 

The granddaddy of all antagonists was in my head and I wanted to lay him to rest once and for all, which meant I either needed to find an exorcist or create someone who was just as powerful to take him on (Don’t worry too much about my mental health. All writers do this. It’s just that few would actually admit it out loud).

My first novel, Copper Descent really started out as an exploration of the monster, and his weaknesses. I say monster, not man, because even in the beginning I knew he wasn’t human. Sinclair Devereux didn’t actually announce himself as being Lucifer though until his story landed on paper, but once he started talking he wouldn’t stop, and my single novel suddenly became a seven book project.

Yes, seven books, the first three following different sets of characters that all come together in the fourth. The interesting part is I decided this before I even began my research. I knew my heroine carried an amulet that was also a key, but a key to what, I didn’t know. Around this time I stumbled upon the book of Enoch. What a stroke of plot hole luck!

Reading Ezekiel wasn’t the easiest of tasks. When he would go into his tangents of knowledge causing death, all I could think was he’s out of his mind! But I kept going because the man also knew more than any person of his time should have. He spoke of the gateways to heaven, seven by land and four by sea. The people of this age weren’t even aware that the earth was round, let alone be conscious of how many continents and oceans existed, yet this crazy old man somehow documented exactly that.


This premise was a perfect building block for what I’d already created. I coupled this concept with Paradise Lost as well as legends and folklore from around the world, and found I had a unique twist on an old story. Each book is represented by a metal—a different gate to open and aspect of human nature to overcome. Lucifer goes through his own evolution, and eventually returns to the angel city. The journey is equally heart-wrenching and rewarding, and I hope it will inspire all to look deeper.

Angela Hartley, Author of The Sentient Chronicles
Angela Hartley spent much of her childhood being shuffled from house to house with only a book for companionship. The magic she found in the written word saved her in many ways, transporting her into worlds far more enjoyable than the one she resided in. Literature became a passion and the idea of writing carried her through years of uncertainty.
After high school, she met and married her own Prince Charming. They rode off into the sunset in his blue Toyota and a whole new world full of hope and happiness opened up. He claimed they could move mountains together, and they did.
While facing the painful realization that sometimes there are no tomorrows following her father’s tragic death in 2005, she decided it was time to follow her dreams. With the love and support of her family, she dove into another world, full of procreating angels and demon rock stars.
 Her debut new adult horror novel, Copper Descent will be released on Amazon May 2014. Angela currently resides in Midway, Utah with her three children and husband.





The tale of Sinauf was a secret nineteen-year-old Nina Douglas’ ancestors kept hidden for eighteen generations. But the truth has been brought into light.
The dark god of legend is real.
Caught in an ancient war still raging strong in the modern world, Nina is confronted with Sinauf—the embodiment of all she fears and desires. Like a moth drawn to a deadly flame, Nina must resist the seductive charm of a beautiful monster, or prepare to lose everything she holds dear.
Temptation has a name, and he is coming for her.

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