Interview with Eisley Jacobs, Author of Runaway Choices

Hi Everyone. Today we are chatting with Eisley Jacobs, author of Runaway Choices, a Christian Speculative Fiction/Fantasy novel. Eisley will be joining us for a live interview on Blog Talk Radio, Wednesday, March 14th, at 3:30pm Pacific Time. We hope you'll stop by and listen in.

Be sure to leave a comment at the end of this interview for your chance to win a copy of Runaway Choices. Don't forget to leave your email address in the following format: parayournormalteam(at)gmail(dot)com. Now...for the interview:

Eisley! *wild grin* I’m so glad you finally get to join us here on PYN. Please tell our readers a bit about yourself.

Thanks! I'm happy to be here and even happier to be outside the four walls of my insanity (brain), which as luck would have it, is giving me a run for my money. So right, I'm Eisley, Mom to three children whom I homeschool. I'm active in our homeschooling group, church, life, and I still find time to write down the bossy characters that stroll through my brain. Some people wonder who is bossier, my characters or my kids... Really, it depends on the day.

You write in complete chaos! LOL! How do you do that on a regular basis?

Yes, it has been called chaos, but it's an organized chaos. Since we homeschool, I have to keep a pretty tight schedule on our time and efforts (which my characters don't always understand). We have school in the mornings and then after any activities we might need to attend, I dive into my writing. I try to write at least 3-5 hours a day. But since my kids are 12, 11, and 9 the “chaos” really does swirl around me all day.

Also, headphones. Really good headphones. But on top of that, when you have a really good story that needs to get out, you just ignore deal with the chaos. Sometimes I write one sentence and the 9yo needs something. I have to stop take care of issue, then I get back and write one more sentence before 11yo needs something. And so the process continues until sentence by sentence the chapter is written. It can be frustrating, but I know that this time with my kids is short and my characters can wait a little longer because my little people need me.

You just recently launched Runaway Choices. I’ve also had the chance to read it and it’s *singing* AMAZING! I felt wonderful after reading it. Please tell us a bit about it.

Runaway Choices is a story of twenty-three year old Beck and how she finds her way again. The story is one of growth and accepting things we cannot change. It’s about accepting our flaws and still knowing we’re loved and can love despite our short comings.

It’s labeled Christian Fiction, but I barely noticed it. As a pagan, I was drawn by the strong paranormal aspects and the history of the places your characters went to. Can you tell us what inspired this book?

Beck's character was inspired by my own growing up years. I was a bitter young adult and I lashed out at everything and everyone because I was hurt so deeply by circumstances life had afforded me. Choices people had made around me directly affected my life and my relationships and I choose to allow them to rule me. Instead of physically running away from life, like Beck had, I'd run emotionally from the world and accepted anger in place of anything anyone could offer. Choices are a huge part of Christianity and played a huge role in the way this book came together. As a Christian, I weigh my choices heavily, but sometimes choices runaway with us before we realize it, and this aspect of life ultimately inspired the rest of the book.

Tell us something about your characters that we wouldn’t be able to figure out by reading the book.

When I began this journey (RUNAWAY CHOICES) I had no idea Beck would be a fictional portrayal of the young me. No, I'd never conned my way onto a plane, but I was a good liar and could get almost anything I desired. When I realized this was somewhat allegorical, I wasn't sure what to do with it. To think someone might find out that I was once so bitter I couldn't see straight and to maybe realize I still struggle with some of these aspects was difficult to come to grips with. So after I wrote the novel, I tucked it away and told myself it was just another shelf novel. God had other plans.

You have a couple of other books. Can you tell us briefly about those as well?

I started my publishing journey with a lower middle grade series DRAGONS FOREVER. Book One - BORN TO BE A DRAGON came out in July 2011 and was met with immense enthusiasm from kids and schools. I did a mini book tour (mostly speaking at schools) around the western United States in September - October and then wrote Book Two - BLINK OF A DRAGN and released it in January 2012. Again, the feedback has been overwhelming! Kids love these books and parents are enjoying them as well. While they aren’t Christian novels, they do hold fast to the morals and convictions I try to impart in my children. Friendship, believing in yourself, adventure, love, forgiveness… you name it, we will explore it in my children’s books. Also in each book, the child learns something about an obscure area of the world that unless they leave close, they won’t necessarily learn the things I put into the book. The first book tells us a lot about the Cook Island Atolls. The second about Mount Rushmore and the Caverns nearby (as well as the Phoenix Islands in the South Pacific). The third book will be no different, but this time we are heading over to Scotland for part of our adventure. It will be amazing!

Where can readers purchase your book? (Please provide links)

Runaway Choices - http://www.amazon.com/Runaway-Choices-Christian-Speculative-ebook/dp/B007BYWVEG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1331576736&sr=8-2

Born to be a Dragon – http://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Forever-Born-be-Dragon/dp/1456360965/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1331576736&sr=8-5

Blink of a Dragon - http://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Forever-Dragon-Eisley-Jacobs/dp/146791911X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1331576736&sr=8-3

May we read an excerpt from the book? (Please paste here)

Chapter 1 excerpt:

Sleeping had been a useless endeavor. My pillow had been my ineffective attempt at a buffer, and I’d debated, more than once, on using it as a deadly weapon.

“Ma’am?” I heard from the aisle.

The mouthy flight attendant, whom I’d encountered during a bathroom break two hours into the flight from O’Hare, stood awkwardly at the end of my row.

“Can you return your seatback to the upright position?” Her tone was less than friendly.

A wide, cynical smile crept across my lips. Tilting my head, I raised my eyebrows in the most sarcastic pose I could muster.

“Please?” came her snarky inclusion.

My row buddy turned, and I transformed my face, offering the biggest puppy dog eyes I could muster. The seatback clicked into place.

The flight attendant glared.

“Does she have a problem with you?” the concerned man said in his thick British accent.

“I… She…” I started, maintaining my confused expression as I poured on the dramatic improvisation, complete with quivering lip.

The flight attendant’s glare turned into outrage and she hurried down the aisle.

I wiggled my fingers in a little sarcastic wave outside the man’s view.

My neighbor twisted toward me, and I contorted my face into bewilderment.

Shrugging my shoulders, I leaned my head against the cabin wall again, invisibly rejoicing at my small triumph. That would teach her to mess with a girl who needed a cola outside of “serving hours,” as she had put it. Who cares what time it had been? I’d needed the cola. I would have gladly paid the last five dollars in my pocket for it.

“Give me the freaking can,” I’d demanded, raising a huge scene at the back of the Boeing 747.

“Keep it down,” she’d begged.

Ouch. The wrong thing to say to a woman suffering a caffeine addiction headache the size of a watermelon.

I’d kept it down all right. Only the back ten rows had heard me over the dull roar of the engines. Three-fourths of the plane hadn’t seen the display.

Tragic, really.

It had been my best performance to date. I may not have a lot going for me, but I do have a few talents tucked up my sleeve. After all, I was on my way to London by sheer talent alone.

Where can your readers connect with you on the web?  (please provide links)

My Website – http://EisleyJacobs.com/

Twitter – http://twitter.com/EisleyJacobs/

Facebook – http://facebook.com/EisleyJacobs/

Interview with Regan Black, author of The Matchmaker's Mark

Joining us today is Regan Black, author of The Matchmaker's Mark. If you'd like to win a free copy of this paranormal romance novel, please leave a comment below. Don't forget to include your email address. 

On Wednesday, we'll be chatting with Regan, live, on our Blog Talk Radio channel at 3:30 pm Pacific Time. We hope you'll listen into the show. Now, for our interview...

Hey, Regan! It’s so good to meet you. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

There isn't much to me... it's a life of servitude to three retired greyhounds, two manipulative cats, and three quirky finches. Oh, and there are bon bons. And a personal masseuse and chef. Oh, wait. That's my fantasy life! In reality there are all those pets, and a fabulous family who support me through the process of every novel. I'm a voracious reader (we all are), proven by our extensive collection of both hard copy and ebooks. I'm also a reformed runner (meaning I do mostly yoga these days), a coffee addict (because mornings seem to keep happening), and an uber-fan of Walt Disney World (it's the happiest place on earth!)

How do you carve out time to write? 

Very carefully - or rather deliberately. It's so easy to get lost in promotion tasks or the wonderful world of social media, so I try to get in one hour on the novel before I even look at a computer with an Internet connection. That seems to keep me on task for the rest of the day, because I'm enthused about what's happening with the story, despite necessary breaks to deal with either the business side of writing or the needs of the pets.

What started you down the path of being a novelist?

Now, that's a funny story. As a stay at home mom and a published poet, I was working on a new poetry collection when my husband came home to work for the second time in two years. My poetry was sunshine and light one day, and angst and despair the next. It was maddening, to put it mildly. So out of desperation I began to write a story, fictionalizing the way we met and trying to recall what the hell I found so attractive about him. The book is THE worst romance novel ever, but I realized I could write a complete, novel length story and I've been addicted to the process ever since. (Oh yeah, we're still happily married).

Which book are we talking about today and what is it about? 

The Matchmaker's Mark is the book for today and it addresses the concern: When you're more than human, there's more to finding your soul mate than answering a survey online. The Matchmaker's Mark introduces Amy (and her greyhound Guinness) as she unexpectedly comes into her power as the Matchmaker - a direct female descendent of a Scottish witch who can persuade and empower love and attraction in creatures that most people don't believe exist anymore. 

What inspired this book?

This book was inspired by my need to tell a more lighthearted story. I'd been working on my 2096 novels and short stories and I love that crew of characters, but the storylines are much darker. It was springtime, I only had a bit of time because of end of school events and I just needed something fun to focus on for a while. The idea of a magical 'witch' who could affect love matches or smooth the path for arranged marriages was full of delightful potential for both tender and comedic moments. Setting the book in Charleston, SC gave me a chance to share one of my favorite places (full of legends and intrigues) with readers.

Tell us something about your characters that we wouldn’t be able to figure out by reading the book.

While some mythical people/creatures seek the Matchmaker for love or soul mate advice, there are plenty of others who want her contained or even dead, to prevent what they consider meddling in matters of the heart or matters of politics. This is particularly critical to the storyline at the moment because Amy Campbell is the last of the hereditary line. If enemies succeed in capturing her, it might be the absolute end of generations of matchmaking.

Is there a book 2 in the works? Can you tell us a bit about it?

Yes, there is a second book on the way! Titled The Matchmaker's Curse, it features the werewolf who was searching for the Matchmaker in book one and who was 'marked' by her accidentally. He did not come to Charleston to find his soul mate, but she just might find him. I'm really excited about this novel, the starring couple, and their overall adventure. It's been a great deal of fun to brainstorm, research, and write.

Where can readers purchase your book?

The Matchmaker's Mark is currently available at Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, and wherever ebooks are sold.

May we read an excerpt from the book?

Of course! Here’s Chapter One:

My dearest Amy,

How are you and Guinness doing? I can't imagine how a skinny little greyhound might feel in that wicked Nebraska winter. Should I send him some snow boots? Surely you are settled in and pampering each other after six months together.

I'm so sorry I missed you and the family at the holidays, business was unusually crazy this year.

Be on the lookout for a package from me, darling, you will absolutely treasure it! Above all take good care of yourself (and Guinness, of course).

All my love,

Auntie Camille

Lily Parker was in her element. Almost completely. Surrounded by flowers and serenaded by the bell above her door as customers walked in and out of her florist shop, she felt as radiant as her own beam of sunshine. She wrapped up the sale and murmured a blessing over the blooms as another happy customer left.

January wasn't typically her best sales month, but her regulars kept her company and she always enjoyed the respite after the rush of the holidays. She'd tweaked the display window yesterday and patted herself on the back, since her register had been ringing steadily since.

Through that window she smiled at the woman on the street. The potential customer was currently admiring the sweet baskets of daisies flanking a stunning array of white tulips Lily's wholesaler had brought in just for her. Then Lily spotted the dog.

She pushed open the shop door. "What a beautiful greyhound."

"Thanks. This is Guinness." The woman at the other end of the leash was pretty in an understated way, but her proud smile lit up her face as her dog leaned forward, eager to bask in any and all attention.

Lily chuckled. "Isn't he a character?" She let him sniff her knuckles and considered herself approved when he ducked his head under her palm so she could scratch his ears. "Is he a rescue?"

"Yes. From an Iowa track. We've been together about six months."

"That's wonderful. I'm Lily, by the way."

"Amy."

Lily took in the open coat and glove-free hands and pegged Amy for a snowbird, or possibly the cruise lines were doing a new promotion. "I didn't know they allowed dogs on the cruises." The other woman blinked, her smile giving way to confusion. "Forgive me. You're not a tourist?" Having lived here so long, she knew the faces of most of the locals.

"Yes. Well no. Not officially."

"That's what I get for assuming," Lily said, cooing over Guinness until the woman relaxed again. She usually read people with uncanny precision, but lately, it was as if she was a half step out of sync. "Would Guinness like a drink of water?"

Amy snorted. "He'd like anything that involves more attention."

"Well come on in."

"Your shop is lovely." Amy held Guinness at the door, her gaze scanning the displays with sincere appreciation.

Lily sensed a kindred spirit, or at least some common interests. "There's not a thing in here he can hurt," she insisted. "I'll just go get a water bowl."

Connecting with new people was the best part of her job. She thought of it as her calling. It gave her such a rush to find out what they needed, how her flowers might brighten a day or mark a memorable, romantic moment. Feeling connected professionally kept her mind off her bleak personal prospects of romance.

She returned to the showroom, bowl and water bottle in hand, pleased to see Amy admiring her cooler while Guinness seemed curious about a stuffed teddy bear tucked next to a planter.

Lily thought of her cooler as an evolving painting, as well as a testing ground for how long she could keep a flower fresh in various stages of design. She'd once kept a carnation going for three weeks, but so far she couldn't keep an orchid fresh beyond its normal life expectancy of a few days.

"Here's some refreshment for Guinness," she said, willing her mind away from her flaws.

The dog sniffed at the water, then lapped it up with the enthusiasm of a broken lawn sprinkler.

Amy started to apologize for his sloppy manners, but Lily cut her off. "Don't worry about it. This place can take it. Water's just one of many job hazards."

"You're the owner?"

Lily beamed. "Primary designer and head janitor, too. It keeps me humble."

"Well you've got a brilliant gift." She waved back at the front window, then the cooler.

"Thank you." Lily smiled. "Spring's my favorite season. Typical for a flower child like me." She laughed at herself. "And just around the corner."

"Around the corner?"

"Oh, February will be brown and bland, but come March things will start budding and popping with color and it won't stop until –" She stopped short. She was as exuberant with the seasons as Guinness had been with the water. "Well not until next February, really."

"Sounds heavenly."

"The excessive humidity and nine months of hawk-sized mosquitoes are the tradeoff," Lily confessed in a stage whisper.

The bells on the door danced and Lily turned her welcome smile toward Jim, the cop who walked the King Street beat. "I've got your order ready." She moved around Guinness to pull a box of roses out of the cooler. "I'll be right back," she said to Amy.

"Good looking dog," Jim said, letting Guinness get his scent and head butt his hand. "Busy day?" he called back to Lily. He moved closer to the register and whistled when he got a look at the roses. "Oh, my wife will love these."

Lily felt a little sting on the inside of her wrist and rubbed it, annoyed that she'd managed to catch a thorn even through her long sleeved shirt.

The bells jingled again, announcing the arrival of the owner of the cupcake bakery two doors down. "Morning, Lily."

"Hey, Belinda. Your order's all set on the back counter."

"Thanks, so much. I'll just put these red velvets in your fridge."

"Oh, today is a good day," Lily said with a grin, earning agreement from Jim. Bartering with other King Street businesses was just one of many perks of her location. Ringing up the order, allowing for the community discount, her shopkeeper's eye roamed over Amy and Guinness to another new arrival.

"Guess it's going to be a busy day after all. Have a great anniversary, Jim." The cop nodded and left, the box tucked under his arm. He looked casual, but Lily appreciated the vigilance he applied to her modest business as well as the rest of the neighborhood.

The newest customer stood tall and lean, and she felt an odd tremor of familiarity. She did a double take to verify she'd never seen him before. His jaw was shadowed by a day's growth of beard and his dark, windblown hair was a little too long, curling a bit around the sunglasses he'd pushed to the top of his head. He didn't have the typical, hang dog look of a guy searching for a way to mend a rift with a woman, which made a flower shop a strange place to stop in.

She smiled at him. "Shopping for anyone in particular?"

He shook his head and gave her a half smile that put her hormones on alert. "Just looking."

When Belinda came back through the shop, carting a box of bud vases and a big bag of rose petals, he moved to open the door for her and followed her out without a word.

Lily stared after him. Weird. She'd call down later and see if the baker was training someone new. Rubbing absently at her arm, she rejoined Amy and Guinness. "So what can I do for you?"

Amy grimaced. "Tell me the secret to keeping flowers fresh. I can hardly keep a silk plant looking healthy."

Flower secrets, well, all of nature's secrets, should've been as easy as breathing for Lily. Since it wasn't that simple, she basked in the praise and tried not to blush. "It comes down to trimming the stems and keeping the arrangement watered," she offered the easiest advice first. "There are certainly specific flower options that will last awhile." Wanting to honor the connection she felt with Amy, she looked around her shop. "Where are you staying?"

"With a friend. I'm mixing business and pleasure this winter." She stroked her greyhound's ears. "My friend has been absolutely amazing to welcome us both."

"Does your friend live here? Downtown," Lily clarified.

Amy nodded. "She's in a neighborhood near the college. Why?"

"Hmmm." Lily considered the options in her cooler. "You should have this." She pulled out a French blue basket filled with yellow button mums, white daisies and a splash of purple statice. Springtime in a basket, she thought. "It's a perfect breakfast table centerpiece."

"Wow! This would just light up Maeve's kitchen. How much?"

"Did you say Maeve?" Lily carried the arrangement toward the register counter. "Do you mean Maeve King?"

Amy nodded, a blend of surprise and 'stranger-danger' worry flitting over her face. "How did you know?"

"Oh, it's a pretty close town. This arrangement's definitely on the house if you're a friend of Maeve's. Consider it a thank you for introducing me to Guinness." She grinned. "He really brightened my day."

Amy turned Guinness's long nose away from the teddy bear. "I've heard of Charleston hospitality, but I'd feel better if I paid for it."

Lily shook her head. "Don't worry. Maeve, or rather her busy social life, keeps me in business. Besides, it's a day old already. Don't tell anyone," she said with a wink, "but I dawdled in the back with my wholesaler." She murmured a little charm over the blooms to keep them fresh and the women happy as she wrapped layers of protective paper over the arrangement.

"She'll love it, if can I get her to open it."

"Is she the sort who refuses to tear into a gift? I didn't know that."

Amy grinned, relaxed again. "It was a shock that first Christmas in college, but we've managed to stay best friends despite her irregularities."

Lily laughed, liking Amy more with every passing minute. "I met Maeve after a particularly busy weekend. It seemed my delivery driver had filled her office to bursting and she wanted to meet me." She glanced at the door when the bell jingled again. Jim's partner walked in, with a face only a florist could love. "Another tiff?" He stared at the floor. "Give me a minute to finish up here." She turned back to Amy. "So how long are you in town?"

"Through the spring semester. We're teaching an interim class on Romeo and Juliet, then I'll guest lecture between bouts of designing a new creative writing curriculum."

"That's fantastic. Will you be presenting the play to the public?"

"Not a chance." Amy's snort caused Guinness's ears to perk, making Lily chuckle at them both. "It's more about digging into the subtext of the story than the performance."

"Ah." Lily nudged the wrapped flowers across the counter. "Please tell Maeve I said hello."

"Will do." Amy sighed and shook her head. "I'm going to take a picture of these and send it to my assistant. It might give her hope to carry on through the remaining snowy months back home."

"Be sure to come by anytime you want to chat or anything." Lily murmured adoring nonsense to Guinness and waved goodbye as the pair left her shop. Empty water bowl in hand, she faced Jim's partner. "What happened now?"

He brought her up to speed while she reached for the first aid kit under the counter. Pulling back her sleeve, she stifled a gasp. The skin around the birthmark on her left wrist was irritated all right, but not by a simple thorn. Unwilling to consider the most likely possibilities and ramifications, she smeared anti-itch cream on it and pulled her sleeve back in place, grateful for the distraction of how to get her customer out of the doghouse this time.

Later, when the closed sign was posted, she'd take time to think about the magic she'd obviously missed in the process of doing business like a normal person.

Where can your readers connect with you on the web?

My website http://www.reganblack.com is full of all kinds of articles, book features, bonus content for newsletter subscriber and more.

Or join the fun at the Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/ReganBlack.fans

And use @ReganBlack to find me on twitter.

Interview with William J. Barry

Welcome to our interview with William J. Barry. Don't forget to leave us a comment at the end of the interview for a chance to win one of five copies of Sebastian and the Afterlife...

Hey, William, it’s great to meet you. I did a little research and I found your book! It sounds fantastic! Why don’t you tell us a bit about it?

            It’s a young adult dark fantasy about a 17-year old boy named Sebastian that has just died.  He wakes up in a surreal spirit realm that is between the mortal world and the afterlife.  It is a place that is ruled by the Grim Reaper and his agents.  Sebastian has been given the opportunity to find peace for his soul before ‘moving on’.  He ends up at a school in the spirit realm where ghosts can learn about their new abilities.  He makes new friends, but longs for his lost love, Sarah, back in the mortal realm.  Sebastian tries to connect with her, thinking that he will find peace by saying one last goodbye.  At the same time, soul pirates threaten the spirit world.  They abduct innocent spirits to harvest spirit energy.  Axis Red, the leader of the pirates, has a plan to take over the entire realm.  Sebastian and his new friends get caught in the middle of everything.  

             

In one of your reviews, the reviewer called Sebastian and the Afterlife  “A Harry Potter-esque ghost story.” Is that what you were shooting for?

            Not particularly.  I love Harry Potter, but I don’t think the book is overtly similar.  It’s just an easy heuristic to use because those books are so popular and Sebastian has the same kind of dark feel.  Sebastian does exist in an enchanted universe and attends a surreal school where students have special powers.  Onyx is also a very strong female supporting role.  But I think someone could have as easily considered it a Percy Jackson-esque story if that was their point of reference.  I wasn’t shooting to be like anything else.

            I really like dark teen fantasy, and that’s what I was shooting for.  The story actually started with the characters Sebastian and Sarah.  I knew that they were in love, but some enormous obstacle had come in between them.  I tried to think of what that could be.  Then I realized that it was death; at that moment I knew that I was going to write a ghost story.  It was going to be a love story, but one that had plenty of adventure as well.   

What were you trying to capture when you started writing this story? Was there a meaning? A moral?

            When I started I thought I was just telling an imaginative story… which I did.  Looking back with introspection I realize that I was also coping with my own fear of mortality.  It was my way of coming to peace with it.  As with life in general, people will read their own meaning into it.  I don’t have any hidden agendas.  If the book had a moral, it might be to open your mind and enjoy your existence.

How did you come up with this take on the Grim Reaper?

            My mother has claimed to have seen a strange ‘shadow’ in the room on two separate instances right before someone has died.  I think that helped facilitate my interest in the idea of a Grim Reaper character.  The Grim Reaper gets a bum rap because he is so closely associated with death (oftentimes used synonymously), and people are afraid of death.  I wanted to give him his own character.  In general, the book tends to strive to take the fear away from thought of death, and I think that rolled over to the reaper as well.  I thought: what if he wasn’t bad?  What if he was just misunderstood; just a guy that was doing his job?   I also knew I needed a hierarchy of authority in the spirit realm and it made sense to put the reaper on top.

There isn’t a whole lot about you on the web, which makes the interview a little more like a treasure hunt. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I have two versions of this answer (you can use either one)–

Short Version:

            I was born in Newton, New Jersey.  I moved to Florida and then to Georgia at a young age.  Ever since grade school, I have enjoyed penning original short stories.  I grew up in the Augusta, Georgia area, and then moved to Athens, Georgia.  I obtained a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The University of Georgia.  After college, I returned my focus to writing (both screenwriting and to my first novel).  My hobbies include acting and writing/recording original music.  'Sebastian and the Afterlife' is my first novel, the first in a series of books.  I’m married and currently live on the outskirts of Athens Georgia.

Then I have a ‘Good grief, too much information’ version:

                        I was born in New Jersey, but moved to Florida and then Georgia at a young age.  I attended a private christian school (predominantly catholic) in Augusta, Georgia, for elementary through high school. 

                        I wrote short stories ever since I was in grade school.  At the age of 12 I started taking classical guitar followed by classical voice lessons at the local college.  I continued to write short stories on occasion.  In the 10^th grade I checked out a book of Edgar Allan Poe’s complete works from the school library.  I was really inspired by his stories and to this day he is still my favorite author.  In high school I played soccer and a little basketball for the school.  As a junior I was a starting fullback on the varsity soccer team.  I was also involved with drama and music both at my high school and at the college.  I graduated receiving the ‘Excellence in Fine Arts’ award from my high school.  

            After high school I moved to Athens, Georgia and focused on my music.  I also began writing screenplays in my spare time.  I bartended to make ends meet.  After some years of recording and playing shows, I was still not able to get a recording contract; I returned to college.

            In 2005 my girlfriend and I bought a house on the outskirts of Athens, Georgia (we closed on it on 5/05/05).  We got married in December of 2006.  She is a research biologist and avid knitter.

            I graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.S. in psychology in December of 2007.  I was a recipient of the ‘Presidential Scholar Award’ and a member of PSI CHI (the psychology honor society).  I was accepted into an experimental psychology graduate program in 2008, but had to decline for logistical and financial reasons.

              I always had hopes of penning a novel, and on March 24^th of 2009 I began writing Sebastian and the Afterlife.  I finished the first draft on August 6^th of that year.  I ended up doing 4 more drafts of the novel.  Soon I was shopping it around to agents and publishing houses. 

            After nearly a year of queries, the book was picked up by TWCS Publishing House (I signed the contract on 10/10/10).  The book went into editing that winter.  My 96,000 word manuscript was whittled down to around 87,000 words.  I learned a lot in the editing process.

            The book was released February 24^th of 2011.  Before the release day I was already contracted to read the audio book and write the sequel. 

            I’ve been busy since then.  I have been doing book signings, speaking engagements, interviews, and posting on blogs on top of keeping my sites updated.  It’s almost overwhelming to keep up with it all.  I barely made my deadlines, finishing the audiobook August 15^th, and turning in the first draft of the Sebastian and the Afterlife sequel on August 31^st.  I also still bartend two to three nights a week to supplement our income.

           Right now we are in the middle of editing the Sebastian and the Afterlife sequel, which will be coming out in February of 2012.  It’s really dark and edgier than the first book.  I love it.  There is already an agreement with the publishing house about the third (and likely final) Sebastian book slated for early 2013.  I’m not sure when the audiobook will be released.

            In spite of how busy I have been with my writing, I still try to make a little time for my other interests (music and film).  A little while back I wrote and recorded a couple of new songs (which can be heard on the Sebastian and the Afterlife website).  As for film, I was able to play a zombie in an independent movie called ‘Pushin up Daises’ that came out in 2010, and I am already signed on as an extra in an upcoming Vince Vaughn/Ben Stiller movie shooting in early November.  I’m also trying to film one of my recent screenplays, hopefully that will happen this winter.

            In 2012 I will be promoting the second Sebastian and the Afterlife book, while working on the third.  I have also been threatening to start a blog about writing… that may happen in 2012 or sooner if I find the steam.  I really love being an author and plan to keep doing it as long as I have stories worth telling.

What types of hobbies do you have outside of writing that may or may not shape how you write? Personally? I love science. I’m a totally geek about it. So when I world build, I world build. You?

            In addition to writing, I really enjoy recording original music and acting/filmmaking.  I had written a few screenplays before writing this novel.  One of my readers commented that I write my action sequences very visual.  I think that could be the screenwriting coming through.  But really I am just transcribing a movie that I’m watching in my head, trying to keep up with it.  But some bad habits come through from the screenwriting too.  My editors get on to me about explaining too many character movements - things that would be mentioned in a screenplay but assumed in a manuscript.         

            I love to world build.  That was one of my favorite things about writing this book.  I felt I had plenty of freedom and control because there doesn’t seem to be as many standard conventions to adhere to with ghosts as opposed to some other supernatural beings, like vampires.  The science aspect is one of the great things about world building in a fantasy story.  It’s fun to create the rules, and then analyze what would and wouldn’t be possible.  In this story I not only got to play with the spirit realm, but I also did a lot with energy and even managed to sprinkle in some time travel as well.

What attracts you to a particular story?

            The characters attract me to a story; that’s the most important thing to me in the beginning.  If I don’t care about them, then I don’t care what happens to them.  But I like having an interesting setting and situation too.  Like I mentioned before, I knew my two main Sebastian and the Afterlife characters before I knew absolutely anything else about the story.  If my characters are good, I feel like a lot of the book writes itself.

How do your personal experiences shape the way you pen the stories you tell?

            I am a chronic overanalyzer; probably partly my nature, other part psychology degree.   I enjoy observing subtleties in peoples’ interactions with each other.  I think my logical assessment of people making emotional connections helps me to understand it when I write characters.

            Beyond that, sometimes I find my nostalgia creeping into the story.  Little things like Sebastian playing soccer.  I played soccer in high school.  Two painters are mentioned in the book, Van Gogh and Dali.  Those are my favorite artists.  There are little pieces of me scattered randomly throughout the book in that fashion.

Where can readers purchase your book?

Amazon.com

BarnesandNoble.com

The TWCS Publishing House

Foozago

Where can readers connect with you on the web?

A bunch of places -

Website

http://www.sebastianandtheafterlife.com/

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sebastian-and-the-Afterlife/136638963054615#!/pages/Sebastian-and-the-Afterlife/136638963054615?sk=wall&filter=12

Twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/williamjbarry

Good Reads

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10635376-sebastian-and-the-afterlife

May we read an excerpt from the book?

Sure, here is the prologue.  A decent sized excerpt from chapter 1 is also available on the book’s website

Prologue

            Somewhere in a spirit world that existed between mortal life and the afterlife, a curious young student had lost her way. She took a deep shaking breath. Tori stood in a dark forest at the foot of the ominous mountain chain that resided at the far eastern edge of the spirit realm. Her teachers and peers had warned her numerous times that the area was infested with soul pirates, the evil harvesters of the innocents’ spirit energy. She did not know how she had gotten there; perhaps there was something wrong with the compass she was using. All she knew was that she had to get back to her school as soon as possible.

            She held the compass out in her hand. A quiet noise like that of a snapping twig pierced the silence. Tori glanced around but saw nothing. That instant the compass was whipped from her fingers and flew into some nearby bushes. Tori jumped back, startled. The frantic student looked around while shaking her stinging hand.

            Sally, an all too infamous pirate spirit, made a casual entrance out of the shadows. She wielded a glowing energy whip flowing from her hand.

            “My, my, little girl, it looks as if you’re lost,” Sally spoke in devious tone.

            Another pirate spirit emerged, floating out from behind a nearby crooked tree. Then, on the other side of Sally, another pirate appeared. Tori darted up, flying into the air in the opposite direction to make her escape. But Sally swung her whip, and it wrapped around Tori’s right ankle. Sally gave a violent jerk to the whip, yanked Tori out of the sky, and slammed her down onto the ground. She lay there, stunned and shook her head.

            “Where do you think you’re going?” Sally questioned the terrified student. “You’re coming with us, sweetie.” She laughed.

            The weakened Tori stood up. One of Sally’s accompanying cohorts smiled as he produced a set of spirit shackles. He walked toward Tori, and the young student regretted this venture out on her own.

            Out of nowhere, a large barn owl swooped in, flying between Tori and the approaching pirates. There was a flash and blur, and the owl took the form of Alexander, a good and loyal agent of the Grim Reaper. Alexander threw forth his hand, and a glowing charge of spirit energy shot out across the air and hit the shackle-wielding pirate in the face. He was thrown head-over-heels, spinning backward through the air until he crashed into a nearby tree. He dropped to the ground, unconscious.

            The other accompanying pirate rushed Alexander. The agent pulled back his arm as he drifted up off the ground. He struck the charging pirate in the middle of his chest with a forceful open-palm hit. The attacker flew back, the heels of his boots dragged across the ground as he flew into some nearby brush, toppling into it. Sally’s glowing whip swiped through the air and wrapped around Alexander’s neck. She pulled back and swung the agent through the air. He came to a harsh landing on the side of a large boulder. Alexander pulled the whip off his neck as he took a breath and stood to his feet. He turned to Tori.

            “Get back to the school!” he ordered.

            The agent’s demand brought Tori out of her bewildered state. She came about her wits and scurried around to find her compass in the bushes. She located it and held it up in her hand.

            “I think there’s something wrong with this compass,” Tori yelled to the agent. “It belongs to my friend; we swapped them.”

            “You can’t use someone else’s compass,” Alexander explained, “It doesn’t work that way!”

He then pulled out his own compass from a side pocket and drew his arm back.

            “Follow this back to the Sapientia campus!” The agent launched his compass into the air within a glowing ball of energy.

            It flew out into the western sky. Tori took flight, following Alexander’s compass as it flew back to the school.

            Sally turned back toward the agent. “Why did you have to go and do all that?” she complained. “The girl seemed pretty spunky. I bet she was loaded with spirit energy!”

            “You know how this is going to end, Sally,” Alexander retorted. “I am going to take every one of you pirates down until I get to Axis Red.”

            Sally took a few steps to the side as she spoke.

            “I know that’s what you intend to do,” Sally mused, “but first you have to catch us!”

            Sally swung her whip at Alexander, but he jumped up into the air over its glowing sweep. Alexander drew back his arm to throw an energy blast at Sally. Another pirate jumped out from the bushes behind him and threw a spirit cocoon trap into the air at the agent. Alexander flung an energy shot at Sally. She jumped out of the way, just missing the blast that snapped the tree behind her in half. The cocoon trap hit Alexander in the back, and its sinister energy started to wrap around, confining him.

            “Let’s go!” Sally yelled to the other pirate.

            She turned to Alexander. “Until we meet again, darling.”

            Sally blew Alexander a sarcastic kiss. She and the other pirate dashed off into the air and were lost in the dark cloudy mountain chain.

            The energy formed a cocoon that moved up and around Alexander’s body and had almost reached his shoulders. The agent focused his energy. With a flash of power and light, Alexander destroyed the cocoon trap. The remnants of the evil snare soon disappeared, dwindling into nonexistence. Alexander looked off into the distance where the pirates escaped.

            “Next time you won’t be so lucky,” the agent threatened.

~ * ~ 

We'd like to thank William for stopping by the blog for a terrific interview. Be sure to listen in Wednesday when we chat with him on Blog Talk Radio, 3:30pm PST. 

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