Plotting the Paranormal by Kirsten Weiss

Plotting the Paranormal: An Alchemical Solution

 

by Kirsten Weiss

True confession: I have alchemy on the brain.  Renaissance alchemy is a mystical process – a blend of magic, philosophy, and chemistry.  And while writing the second Riga Hayworth mystery, The Alchemical Detective, everything seemed to have an alchemical connection – from knitting to chocolate to plotting itself.  

In the classical storytelling plot, things grow more and more difficult for our heroine, with little gasps of relief to keep the heroine, and the reader, moving forward.   You can break this structure into five stages: 

• Exposition: the problem is presented;
• Rising action: conflict is generated, the plot thickens, the tension rises;
• Climax: a fateful decision is made which sets the heroine on her course;
• Falling action: the bad guy has the upper hand, all appears dark; and
• Resolution: the final conflict between the heroine and the bad guy.

The alchemical process works much the same way – a series of revolutions where the ego or metal is burned and broken down, then revived, until finally, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the spirit rises to perfection.  Since I was writing about alchemy, it seemed “right” to hang my plot structure on the alchemical process.   I don’t want to give too much away, spoiling the ending.  But in broad strokes, this is how the alchemical stages flow:

• Calcination: A burning of the self to ash, often due to a trauma.  Metaphyiscal detective, Riga Hayworth, has lost her magic and come to Lake Tahoe to recover and spend quality time with her new love.  But a psychic’s been murdered, and the police believe Riga has a connection to the crime.  Worse, she has reason to believe she may be the next victim.
• Dissolution: Water is added to the ash.  Fears and old wounds rise to the surface, threatening to swamp Riga’s equilibrium.
• Separation: The police aren’t equipped to deal with a magical killer.  Riga realizes she must deal with the murderer on her own to protect the people she loves.
• Conjunction: Riga begins to glimpse the truth about her magic and the killer.  She takes action based upon her vision/beliefs, setting things into motion.
• Putrefaction: The situation festers, gets worse.  Riga battles the demons inside and outside of herself.
• Distillation: Riga fights to reclaim her magic and catch the killer.  This is the make or break moment – she either rises to the occasion and triumphs over her inner and outer demons, or all is lost.
• Coagulation: Balance and harmony are restored.  

I know, I said I wouldn’t give away the ending, but since there’s a sequel, it’s no mystery that Riga gets her man.  

Excerpt from The Alchemical Detective:

The egg quivered, then rolled, seemingly of its own accord, to the edge of the counter.  

Riga stared at it, her violet-colored eyes narrowed in concentration.  Magic, she reminded herself, was a matter of will and she had that in spades.  However, it was also a matter of focus and in this area, she was lacking.

The egg trembled, then slowly rose into the air; one inch, two inches, five.

“Yes,” Brigitte said encouragingly, her voice a French-accented Lauren Bacall.  Her stone claws tensed, gouging tracks in the linoleum countertop.

The egg exploded, splattering the gargoyle with shell and yolk.  

Brigitte shrieked, the sound of rocks scraping against each together.  “Faugh!  Water!  Bring ze water!”  

Riga hurried to the sink and turned on the tap, frustration wrinkling her brow.  She grabbed a dishtowel and soaked it in warm water.  Her hands trembled and Riga swore under her breath.  Two months ago, this would have been easy.  

At first she’d thought her magic was gone.  Now Riga knew it had gone haywire and her rehab attempts weren’t working.  If anything, her magic had become more unpredictable, more dangerous.  She only dared practice with Brigitte because the centuries-old gargoyle was made of stone.  But even Brigitte wasn’t indestructible.  

Someone beat upon the front door and Riga whipped around, startled.  She should have sensed whoever was coming up the steps.  Another small failure.  More pounding; the cheap wooden door vibrated beneath the blows.

“Police!  Open the door!”

Gargoyle and woman looked at each other.  Woman acted first.  Riga tossed the towel in the sink.  

“Don’t move,” she said to Brigitte.

“But ze egg.  It dries like cement,” Brigitte wailed.

“Later.”  Riga hurried to the door and flung it open.  A chilly blast of pine-scented air swept inside, tossing Riga’s auburn hair and stinging her skin.  

Two sheriffs stood before her in wide brimmed hats and heavy dark brown parkas.  Riga might have taken them for rangers had it not been for their belts, strapped with weapons, slung low on their hips.  The older one had his fist raised for another round of door pummeling.  He lowered it with what looked like regret.  He was bulky, bearlike, with steel blue eyes, and she imagined he enjoyed making the door shiver beneath his fist.  The tag under his badge read: Sheriff John King.  The badge itself: El Dorado County.

“I heard a woman scream,” King said.  

“I banged my shin on the coffee table,” Riga said.  

“Are you alone?”  He peered over Riga’s shoulder.  It wasn’t hard – Riga was five foot six, and he stood well over six feet tall, imposing in every direction.  

“Yes.  Can I help you?”  Riga didn’t budge, unwilling to let them in.  It wasn’t that Riga didn’t like cops; she was friends with plenty of them, when they were out of uniform.  

“It was quite a scream,” he said.

She quirked her lips.  “Now you’re just embarrassing me.” 

Kirsten Weiss is the author of two paranormal mysteries available on the Kindle: the urban fantasy, The Metaphysical Detective, and The Alchemical Detective. The latter will be FREE over the 4^th of July week.  She is hard at work on the sequel, The Shamanic Detective.  Follow her on Twitter @RigaHayworth or keep up with her paranormal blog at: http://kirstenweiss.com

Interview with Tamela Buhrke, Author of Angel Unraveled

What is your favorite paranormal creature and why?

I LOVE Pixies! They are tiny, fly and get into mischief. My favorite use of pixies is in The Dresden Files when Harry bribes them with pizza and endears himself to them so much that they start cleaning his house. Pixies that clean my house! That’s what I’m talking about.

Kim Harrison also has a great pixie named Jenks who is very handy for detective work and small pilfering.

We may be seeing some pixies in book three of my Watcher Series.

When was the last time you read something you wrote early on? LOL! I did about a year ago. Man! That was…horrible! LMAO!

Last year, I moved. As I was packing I ran across files of stories I wrote in high school. Some of it held promise, but one was a trashy historical romance based in Greece. Every other page held sighs, longing glances and flowing hair.

I considered throwing it away, but was afraid someone would find it and it would come back to haunt me later. The ghost of scary-manuscript past.

What was the last book that you read that just made you go WOW?

The first two books of Game of Thrones rocked my world. I aspire to be that good—only more humorous.

In the Paranormal genre, any of Karen Moning’s Fever books blow your hair back. She can really take you down the rabbit hole and back again. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but be prepared for the worst. Any author that has to put a disclaimer at the end of a book, to reassure her fans that everything will be okay has done an epic job of creating tension. Karen Moning is a goddess.

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

The first book of my series is Angel Unraveled. It’s about a reluctant psychic who stumbles on street drug that temporarily turns users into vampires. Worse, a sassy she-demon threatens to unleash the drug as a virus—converting the human race into monsters.

What inspired this book?

Honestly, I was getting bored with strong female characters that always knew exactly how to handle things when they were introduced to the paranormal world. I knew that if I ever met a real vampire, I’d act like an idiot. There would be gibbering.

Who are these woman that could meet fairies, shapeshifters or vampires and not blink an eye?

I wanted to create a character who’d have a real response (a.k.a. gibbering), but still be smart and strong. Someone who doesn’t have it all together. She might wear the wrong things, or trip over her own feet, but had the inner strength to both face the task of saving the world and the harder journey of discovering who she really is.

And I wanted it to be funny. I’d like to think that I put the funny in urban fantasy. Hmm....

*Writes that down as a possible slogan.*

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

Andi is a closet Justin Beiber fan. Vampire Esteban runs an advice blog for the lovelorn preternatural. Johnny just wants to be a rock star. But that last one we already knew.

Ethel and Macy are both hiding some very big secrets. We’ll find out more about both of their secrets in book two. Let’s just say that there’s more behind why Ethel avoids her training responsibilities and constantly leaves Andi in the dark. And there is a reason for why Macy and Andi are friends. One that goes far beyond just being college roommates.

They aren’t as different as they appear.

But that’s as much as I’m willing to tell.

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

The next book is out! Yay!

In Angel Unprepared Andi goes on her first official assignment. She’s sent to the Fairy realm to solve the murder of several fairies. As a result, she not only finds herself traipsing through a strange new world, but gets bobbed about through time as well. Ooh... and her love life takes a turn for the much more interesting.

Where can readers purchase your book?

Angel Unraveled - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005CIRVX4

Angel Unprepared - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007K8OGYQ

 
May we read an excerpt from the book? 

“Hand it over.”

I reached into my back pocket and pulled out the card with the address on it. Ethel put it up to her nose to smell it. She rolled her eyes and murmured a little prayer. Ethel patted my legs to get me to sit up, and sat down next to me. I was still hugging the pillow.

“My poor girl.” She crooned, brushing a stray hair out of my eyes. “What in the world made you think that it would be safe to search out a demon?”

My eyes widened. Tucker sat down in the chair across from us.

Ethel laughed. “You think I wouldn’t know? Why do you think I’m back? Hmm?”

She held the card out in front of my face. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it as she moved it back and forth. I needed to know more about the demon. The card would give me access to her. If Ethel would just let me go, I wouldn’t even get out of the car.

“The card has a spell on it,” she said, then mumbled a few strange words. To my amazement, the paper started to smoke and in moments it was nothing but ash floating through the air.

“It was luring you to the demon.” She walked into the kitchen and deposited the remains in the sink, then came back and sat next to me, taking my hand. I was shaking the fuzz out of my head. My need to get in the car had disappeared. I could see the idiocy of the plan and how perilously close I had been to driving right into danger.

“This is my fault, really,” she admonished herself with an angry shake of the head. “I should have taught you more.”

She reached forward and squeezed my face in her hands, jiggling my whole head back and forth.

“But you were just so stubborn! I knew you hated all of this.” She waved her hands around the room. “So I put some precautions in place and hoped that your need to hide from the world would keep you safe. I knew one day you’d come around, and then we could finish your training. I just didn’t expect her to show up so soon.”

What in the hell was she talking about?

I was about to ask when there was a knock at the door. Lola strolled into the apartment. He was dressed in his Marilyn outfit. A long, pale, yellow halter dress with a large black belt and three-inch patent leather heels.

“Ethel! Darling! You’re back,” Lola called, giving her a simpering smile

Ethel patted my hand and stood up to talk to Lola. She walked over and, to my amazement, smacked Lola full across the face, causing his blond wig to fly across the room. The nearly bald man scrambled, in his flowing yellow dress, like a crab across the floor to regain his hair. While he was down, Ethel grabbed Lola’s ear and twisted. Lola shrieked in pain.

“When did Councilman Rogers buy you, Lola?” She yelled. “Hmm? How long have you been betraying me and putting our sweet Andi in danger?”

To my surprise, Lola began begging.

“The councilman threatened to shut us down if I didn’t help him,” he sniveled. “Up until today he had just asked me to watch and report things to him. I never thought he would actually harm her. I just didn’t want my girls to go to jail.”

Ethel snorted, letting go of Lola’s ear and patted Lola on his bald head.

“Get your hair and go home,” she ordered. “I’ll be over later to get a full report.”

Lola put the hair back on his head a bit crooked. The tears had magically disappeared. He smoothed out his skirt and stood up straight. I detected a glint of rage as he strode gracefully out the door, slamming it behind him.

“Why did I ever quit smoking?” Ethel yelled, waving her hands around.


Where can your readers connect with you on the web?

http://www.angelunraveled.com

About Tamela

I started young. Sneaking reads at night, flashlight under the covers. On the outside, I was a normal kid. Reading kept me quiet and out of trouble. On the inside, my imagination swelled like an alien fetus in an unwary human host. Sweaty hands gripped pages filled with adventure, peril and heroism. Pages were turned. Gasps were uttered. The stranger the tale, the greater the journey, the bigger the monsters... the more intoxicated I became. I was hooked on fantasy.

Growing up in suburban Chicago, I used reading as an escape the mundane realities of life. In high school, reading turned to writing. It took a long time and moves to many parts of the country before I'd start taking my writing seriously. Currently, I'm working on book three of my Watcher series. Now I've got a mermaid splashing around in my head, waiting her turn to tell her story. As of next month, I'll be living on the beaches of Mexico and releasing the mermaid from the confines of my mind and into the wide world of print. 

Interview with Berinn Rae, Author of Hellbound

Also join us as we talk with Berinn Rae on BlogTalk Radio this Wednesday, May 30th, at 3:30 PM PDT!

1.      Hey, Berinn, so first off, your favorite TV show is Firefly? LOL!! Mine too!!! Which was your favorite episode and why? 

Pick just one? Are you kidding me? Wow, this is going to be a tough interview. Okay, let’s see. I’ll take the easy way out and go with “Jaynestown” simply because I had a crush on him (and Mal, of course, but who wouldn’t!).  Mal… Jayne… num, num, num. Sign me up for the crew!

2.      LOL! *singing* “Jayne! The man they call...Jaaaayne!” OMW! Love it! Why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself?

When I’m not fantasizing about the return of Firefly, I’m just like any other writer in that much of my free time goes to writing (and reading). I’ve just signed a contract for a new alien trilogy, and I’ve learned quickly how demanding writing can be.  I still have a day job, but that’s boring, so I’ll talk about my hobby… I fly vintage airplanes.

WHAT?!! Really?

 Yup, like the wind-in-your-hair open cockpit biplanes from the barnstorming days. I find flying a carefree time and a perfect balance to my otherwise butt-in-chair life.  Oh, and I’m also happily married to a fellow aviator, and together we pamper our extremely spoiled Gordon Setter named Annabelle.

3.      NICE! Your book, Hellhound, is out. Tell us a bit about your book.

Hellbound is the second book in the Guardians of the Seven Seals series. The evil Dominion has fallen, but factions still exist. One of those factions is an outlaw hellhound building his own army to go after the Seven Seals himself.

This is Orion’s and Lana’s story. Orion is the Alpha of all hellhounds and host of the Third Seal. Lana was an ordinary woman until she was brutally attacked and turned into a hellhound… all without any help or guidance. She thinks she’s cursed and is hunting the hellhounds were turned her, who just so happen to be the same ones Orion’s hunting. Lana’s a tough woman, maybe tough enough to be an Alpha’s equal… but you’ll have to read their story to find out.  :)

4.      Your premise sounds intriguing. What can you tell us about your hellhound and nightmare mythology?

I’ve always been fascinated with old legends and how they came to be. When I read about the Seven Seals in the Book of Revelations, I felt that those two were a legend of sorts. I asked myself, What if the Seals were powerful marks branded on a living being, and if that being were killed, a Seal would be broken? From that premise, I blended in other legends and creatures, making sure they would tie in smoothly with biblical lore (e.g., werewolves became hellhounds). And the world built itself from there!

5.      What inspired this book? 

Rafe is the most tortured—and powerful—of the Guardians, so he’s always been my personal favorite. I’ve been excited to write his book as soon as I worked out the series idea. I’d say he’s the one providing all the inspiration for his story.

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

Orion went through a dark time (which you will learn a bit about in the novel), but he actually nearly went feral and roamed the woods as a hellhound for some time. Which, once you get to know him, doesn’t go with his rock-solid personality at all! I’m hoping to share his past as a short story sometime.

7.      What can you tell us a bit about book 3, Fireflight? 

Ooh, Fireflight will be the darkest and sexiest of the series yet. Rafe, a dragon and a Guardian, is captured by a free-spirited witch. But when her coven imprisons them both, sparks are going to fly in every direction. Oh, and all of the Guardians are going to make an appearance!

8.      Where can readers purchase your book? 

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Hellbound-Guardians-Seven-Seals-ebook/dp/B007P49IP2/

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hellbound-berinn-rae/1109520653?ean=9781937254438

All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-hellbound-759929-140.html

9.      May we read an excerpt from the book and can you provide it here?

You bet! Here’s a quick excerpt from Ch. 2: 

For the first time since Lana Wolfe’s world had gone to hell in the proverbial hand basket, a spark had ignited in her soul. Hope. Hope for something beyond days of stalking and nights of killing. Hope that maybe she wouldn’t become one of the monsters that stalked the night.

Because Orion was different. He seemed like he’d been one of what she hunted for . . . well, for a long time. Yet he didn’t reek like the others. Quite the opposite. Her heightened senses drank him in like a parched sponge at an oasis.

Coming to Orion’s every night made her feel safe. There was magic on his farm. Even if for only a couple of hours each night, spending time here had been a welcome break from the hunt. The peace surrounding this place had made her believe the monsters couldn’t sully this oasis.

Except the stench in the air now warned her that hope was . . . hopeless. She was never safe. And now Orion wasn’t, either.

Her jaw clenched. She had covered her tracks. She was sure of it. There was no way the monsters could’ve tracked him from her trail. 

From the safety of the tree line, she scanned the area. Her fur bristled when she saw lizard-like shapes sprawled across the backyard.

Dead monsters. Orion's work.

She counted. Six total. Killing one monster was a feat. But six?

Arma-freaking-geddon.

10.   Where can your readers connect with you on the web?

Website: http://www.berinnrae.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BerinnRae

Twitter: https://twitter.com/berinnrae

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4822110.Berinn_Rae

Thanks so much for having me!!

  

About Berinn

Berinn Rae writes romantic science fiction/fantasy about extraordinary women with kickassitude. Her EPIC-award finalist Guardians of the Seven Seals series follows mythical creatures we believed in as children, only to be forgotten as we aged. When not writing, she can be found flying old airplanes, watching SciFi movies, playing RPGs, and pampering an incredibly spoiled sixty-pound lap dog.

Interview with Crystal Ward, Author of the Supernova saga

Please welcome Crystal Ward, author of Supernova! She'll also be on our Blog Talk Radio show on Wednesday, April 18th at 3:30PM Pacific Time, so be sure to listen in.

There is so much information about you and your book on your site! Wow! That’s amazing! Song lists and character descriptions and a FAQ on the book. Can you tell us something about you that isn’t on your site, fellow lover of orange? LOL!

Well thank you! :- ) And orange is probably the coolest color around. ;- ) Anyway, ummm I’m so
completely boring. LOL I have a huge bucket list I take very seriously. Right now I’m working on the “Visit all 50 States” part. I’m up to 26. I’m crossing off 3 more next month. :- ) Oh, and I consider myself the worst author ever. I’m not a very good “reader”. I mean, I can read, I just prefer movies over books . . . Don’t throw stones. LOL I’m getting better though! I’ve read a few different series now besides the Twilight books. Don’t hate me . . . LOL

I know this book was inspired by the view out your sister’s kitchen window, but where did your mind go? How did you come up with a plot based off a beautiful day?

Well, I was going through a Twilight/I-really-need-an-Edward-Cullen-in-my-life phase at the time. LOL So as I stared out the window, I started thinking about how wonderful it’d be if there was a vampire or a paranormal hottie, period, out there just for ME. LOL The actual plot wasn’t really born that day. I can’t really explain it, but it was just this overwhelming feeling of all kinds of emotions mixed in one.

After reading the Twilight books, I wanted to write again. I had been an avid writer before, but I went through a slump. And that day triggered something in my brain and I knew I had something brewing, I just couldn’t put the jumbled mess in my head together yet. The plot worked itself out over a few weeks or months. I can’t really remember how long, but I know I’d come home from work all the time with my purse stuffed with napkins, pieces of cardboard, paper, etc. with ideas, themes, plot points, names, quotes, all sorts of different things that started stringing the story together. Eventually, I researched the place and character names I wanted and began writing the first chapter. Maybe I should change my website to say the actual plot wasn’t really born by looking out my sister’s window, it was the feeling of the story that was born. LOL

Is there a reason you choose addition as a theme?

Addition? Unless there’s a mathematical theme I don’t know about I’m going to assume you meant
addiction. LOL ;- )

LOL! I did! Dang you, auto-correct! *raises fist* LMAO! So what made you choose addiction as a theme?

Well, I didn’t want the main character to have a picture perfect life. I wanted a LOT to be wrong with her. Taking away her parents was one thing, but I wanted her to have something so bad in her life in the beginning of the book that when it ends, she’s almost unrecognizable. To me, the main theme of Supernova is Evania’s self-growth. And her overcoming a drug addiction, to me, builds her character so much. P.S. No, I didn’t add an addiction because I had or have one. LOL ;- ) My own mother started reading it and as soon as she got to that part she said, “Crystal, is there something you want to tell me?” LOL

What inspired these characters?

No one and nothing, honestly. LOL I’m probably the worst interviewee you ever had. LOL I don’t
know, I mean, I knew how I wanted them to be. I wanted Evania to be strong deep down, but still be
tremendously flawed. Desmond, I tried to make MY kind of perfect. ;- )

What was your favorite part of the research to create this book?

Definitely the location. I knew I wanted it to take place in one of the New England states. I had never been to any at the time I started writing it, but from pictures, movies, etc. they always looked beautiful. So I got on Wikipedia and started with small towns in Maine. When I got to Vermont and found Jamaica, I fell hard for it, BUT I kept looking. I only got to New Hampshire when I stopped and decided Jamaica, Vermont was the place for Supernova.

The town is small, less than 1,000 people, but so full of life. I found out everything I could about the place. I frequented their website, http://jamaicavt.com/ waaaaay too many times. LOL I loved Jamaica before, but when I actually visited, I fell IN love. The people are the kindest, warmest, sweetest people you’ll ever meet. The town is surrounded by beautiful scenery. It even smelled amazing! LOL I could go on forever about Jamaica. I’ve been there four times now and am planning on going back in September.

I’m actually friends with a few people on Facebook from Jamaica, and their local coffee shop will be selling a few copies of Supernova. AND their library is now carrying a copy as well. :- ) The last time I was there, they were still recovering from the floods brought on by Hurricane Irene. In Jamaica alone, homes, a small bridge, an entire road, and their main bridge was washed away. Instead of waiting for assistance, the citizens of Jamaica got to work the next day, rebuilding the small bridge to the park and road. The camaraderie was and still is amazing. See, I told you I could go on forever about Jamaica. ;- )

I see you mentioned a sequel. Is there anything you can tell us without giving away the plot?

Absolutely! Evania is no longer in “Guardian training”. We follow her through her first, real battle with Adversaries and countless others along the way. BUT I wanted chaos to ensue in this book, so I had to add some trouble for the relationship between Evania and Desmond. Also, I touched on this slightly in Supernova, but in the second book, Evania’s Equal comes out of the woodwork and this girl is a real piece of work. PLUS, there’s a traitor among them…. Cue the creepy music. LOL

P.S. It’s called Tsunami and it’s due to come out May 23rd, 2012.

Where can readers purchase your book? (I may have already done that, but share with the class.)

On my website, www.thesupernovasaga.com, under the purchase page I have links for how to buy it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and a few Amazon sites abroad. :- )

May we read an excerpt from the book and can you provide it here? 

And just like that, the deal was done. Guy removed his arm and walked faster ahead of me. I slowed my pace, searching for any onlookers. With no eyes around, I did a one-eighty. My feet weren’t getting me back fast enough so I picked up speed. I didn’t realize how far Guy and I had walked. As I passed the café, I peered around the street. No one was even outside. My car was still too far away, and I needed one.

Pulling out the sandwich bag, I pinched it between my fingers. I didn’t notice I did this as I walked by the creepy alley.

“What’d ya got there?” an eerie voice asked from the shadow of the alley.

I jumped, dropping the pill. Peering into the darkness, I saw nothing. I was closer to the shadows than I thought.

“Whoops. Didn’t mean to scare ya,” the voice said, followed by a sinister cackle.

I knew I needed to move, but I’d forgotten how to walk. A pill was needed in my system to think straight, but I couldn’t pull the bag out again. Out of the darkness came a black boot, old and torn.

“You’ll share, won’t you, girlie?”

I swallowed hard. No one was around to help. Guy had to be blocks away.

“N-no. No I won’t.”

“Wrong answer.”

Another boot came forward, landing the shadowy man in front of me. I forgot how to breathe. His hair was a mix of gray and black, thin and matted, down to his shoulders. His skin was hidden by dirt and grime in every crevice. Tattered clothes covered his bony body. He didn’t smile, but I saw his teeth, or lack thereof, from his snarls. His eyes were the most frightening feature about him, wide and dark. I couldn’t make out a specific color. Terror engulfed every part of me.

“Come here!”

His scarred hand came down hard on my shoulder as he yanked me into the obscurity of the alley. The man pulled me all the way to the center of the alley. I tried releasing his grip, but he held tight.

“Hel-” He threw me against the side of the dumpster, cutting my plea short. Maybe he wasn’t as bony as I thought.

The impact knocked the wind out of me, taking me off my feet. When I peeked up, he was standing over me with a small shape coming out of his hand. The light color glistened in what little moonlight there was shining into the torturous alley. A small whimper fell from my lips as I realized what the object was, a silver blade.

I was going to be murdered in an alley for buying drugs. Of all the ways I thought I’d meet my doom, the horrible scenario never crossed my mind. What a sick and twisted way to get what I wanted.

“Give it to me,” he demanded.

The situation aside, withdrawal was still wreaking havoc in my body. My hands quivered, and I couldn’t think straight. I didn’t know which was worse, contemplating giving him the drugs or asking him if I could keep just one.

His knife rose with me as I stood, the blade inches away from my heart. That’s when I felt it, salvation. My heart felt lighter as the love from one of my parents took hold of the fear. One of them was with me, closer than usual. I felt the presence right behind me. I’d even felt breathing on the back of my neck. A tiny bit of fear fled my body.

Then, I felt something different. As I gaped into his black eyes, the rest of my fear vanished. If I let
myself look away, I’m sure I could’ve seen the terror I had floating away like vapor from my body. I
didn’t feel nothing. It was definitely something, something I’d never felt before.

Freedom. . . Unbound and unrestrained. The monster had come out. It’s what I’d felt clawing beneath my skin. Drugs weren’t holding it back anymore. It was alive; it was here, and it had been provoked.

My hands formed into fists, and my loose legs tightened into a combat stance. I felt my eyes widen and my lip curl. Adrenaline flowed through my veins and boiled in my mouth. My body felt as if it was about to explode. Tension streamed through my muscles, as my head lowered slightly, but my eyes never left his. It wasn’t the reaction he expected. It wasn’t the reaction I expected.

“What’s this? You’re going to fight me?” A loud and boisterous laugh spilled from his disgusting
mouth. “Bring it on, baby.”

He rearranged his legs into his own messy stance. I’d raised my fists in front of me and took a step
forward. The knife had to go, but I didn’t know how to fight or what I was doing. Pure instinct I didn’t know I had surged through me. I’d taken a few karate lessons when I was a kid and learned to throw a nice punch and spin kick. The kick was my favorite. Putting all my weight on my left foot, I spun through the air. My foot landed against his hand, knocking the blade to the ground. Perfect!

He was too stunned to react, so I took the advantage. I flew forward, kicking the knife under the
dumpster. I pushed him hard into the brick wall. A right hook powered its way from my brain, down my arm, and through my fist, landing on his face. It didn’t knock him to the ground, only toppled him to the side. Using my left elbow, I struck the side of his head.

His arms went over his head while his knees curled into a fetal position. “All right! All right! Keep your damn pills!”

I backed up two steps, getting a good look at the quivering mess. A smile escaped my lips. I jogged out of the alley, happy there wasn’t a single soul on the street. No one would’ve seen the incident go down.

Starting the engine, I headed toward Jamaica. My hands wobbled, and my heart felt on fire, but it didn’t seem like the withdrawal. Adrenaline still flowed through me in high gear. It was after I passed the Brattleboro limit I started thinking about what happened.

There was something inside me, and it’s been waiting to be released. It was a relief to know I knew
myself better than I thought, but where did it come from? Before my parents died, I never felt that way.

There wasn’t a bottled up creature inside me. Was it born the day they died? Growing and feeding on my grief, like a small baby who needed nurturing? Had to be it.

I beamed and realized I felt amazing. I still missed my parents, but it didn’t consume my heart like usual. I felt like a real person again, one who could experience life and live without the solitude. For the first time in close to four years, I felt hope.

It wasn’t until I was almost home, that I realized I hadn’t taken a pill.

Where can your readers connect with you on the web?

My main webpage - www.thesupernovasaga.com

Facebook fanpage - http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Supernova-Saga/180936018622508

Facebook author page - http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Crystal-Ward/137343939695785

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/crystaldward

Bestseller for a Day: Anew by Chelsea Fine

Anew (The Archers of Avalon, Book 1)

"This book enraptured me. Original. Breath-taking. Heart-breaking...in all the right ways."
-UtopYA
~~~
 

Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and unable to remember anything. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery...until she met a boy with a familiar voice.

Gabriel Archer has a voice from her past, and Scarlet is determined to remember why. She immerses herself in his life only to discover he has a brother he's kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer.

Upon meeting Tristan, Scarlet's world becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. But as she tries to piece together her history, Scarlet realizes her past...might just be the death of her.

 

What are reviewers saying about Chelsea Fine’s Anew? See for yourself:

“The premise of Anew is one I've never seen before. Ms. Fine grabs you by the throat with the opening and pulls you along for the ride. I was kept guessing up until the end about what would happen next and why things were happening the way they were - I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! A phenomenal paranormal YA read!”

-5/5 Stars, Reviewer

“Oh my goodness. Anew was so freaking good! The suspense, the intensity, the passion, the chemistry, the romance, the love triangle, the fabulous writing, the best characters ever, the conclusion, (*deep breath*) OMG the conclusion... it was all WOW holy cow awesomeness. Anew was a completely original paranormal romance novel.”

-Reading Eating Dreaming

“The love triangle in this book is the best kind of triangle...one where everyone believes and everyone loves and everyone suffers! The end left me wide-eyed, open-mouthed and longing desperately for the next book!”

-Book Hookup

This April, it’s your turn to grab Anew for the incredibly low price of 99 cents and see for yourself why it makes readers sigh with appreciation.

Just purchase Anew at the promotional price, send a friend who you know would love finding a fun, fast-paced read at an awesome price, and grab the 3 Bonus Buys that are the perfect companion reads to this supernatural suspense:

Enchantment by Charlotte Abel

Gifts of the Blood by Vicki Keire

7 Folds of Winter by Carolyn McCray

More Praise for Anew:

“It's the perfect mixture of love, fear of the unknown, heartbreak with a dash of supernatural!”

5/5 Stars, Reviewer

“The ending had me hanging from a thread and on the verge of tears. The suspense and eagerness to find out all the secrets and kept me on the edge of my seat as I read... I need to know what happens next!!!”

-Para88, Reviewer

“I was thoroughly invested in the characters and loved the way they grew stronger as the book progressed.”

-Sherry Roberts, Author of Book of Mercy

Interview with PJ Dean, Author of Something Else Wicked

Thank you for stopping by! This week, we're interviewing author P.J. Dean as she tells us about her book, Something Else Wicked, a paranormal romantic suspense. Join us on Wednesday, April 11th at 3:30 PM PST as we chat with her on Blog Talk Radio. 

1. Hi PJ! Thanks for joining us at ParaYourNormal today. What can you tell us about you that we wouldn’t already know from your other interviews?

I am the product of an only child upbringing by a single mom when it just was not done! I was raised in the embrace of her colorful family. A jazz drummer. A trucker. Two WWII vets. A numbers’ runner. An aspiring opera singer. A few gay uncles. All mixed in with staunchly independent women and men who took no stuff from anyone. We had neighbors who people nowadays would label as people of “questionable repute.” I loved every minute of it. My eyes and ears soaked it up. They all forged me in the fire of their many-faceted hearts. Watch the HBO film Lackawanna Blues. It’s the closest you’ll come to my life. I hope I’m doing them proud.

2. Speed Answer Challenge:

Chocolate or Vanilla: Rocky Road

Favorite color: Deep rose

Favorite foreign language: French

Favorite season: Fall

Sports car or All-terrain vehicle: Sports car

Watch TV or Go for a hike: Go for a hike

Favorite animal: Cat

3. Give us the juicy details about your book

Something Else Wicked from Extasy Books, continues Nate and Tina’s love story (begun in The Felig Chronicles) as they still combat the Felig and now have to contend with some nutty humans who’ve made a deal with the aliens to survive at the expense of the rest of mankind. In this volume, a way is discovered to kill the Felig. A character goes insane; another dies. It still has a happy finish.

4. What inspired this story?

I like combining different aspects of a genre to build my own. I combine the love story, the monster story, and the mystery with a sort of reluctantly sleuthing interracial couple. As I’ve mentioned before, I really liked the premises of the films 28 Days Later and Strange Days, and the fact that the director chose a hero and heroine who are not what audiences are used to. I really adored how being of different ethnicities was not the central issue of those films and it is not in Nate and Tina’s story. They have bigger things to worry about.

5. Do you have any fun writing habits or rituals to keep your creativity flowing?

I have to have a beverage (hot chocolate, tea, water or coffee) nearby and gummy bears. As for keeping the creativity flowing, I start chapters from the end sometimes. I will know what I want to reveal in certain chapters but I don’t always know how I’m going to get there. This technique helps me get the chapter going.

6. If you weren’t writing, what could readers find you doing instead?

I’d probably be one of those eternal students or a teacher. I love learning and reading books and sharing information.

7. What can you tell us about the rest of the series?

Book one introduces Nate and Tina, their budding love story and why the aliens are here. Book two takes them on a caper involving some humans who want to conquer the world as much as the aliens. Book three is really character driven. It concerns mostly Nate wanting Tina to commit to him and Tina needing to decide if all they have in common is monster fighting and great sex before she does. Book four involves a rescue mission. Book five will be a prequel.

8. Where can readers purchase your books?

Readers can get my e-books at www.extasybooks.com, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Fictionwise, Bookstrand, etc.

9. May we read an excerpt from the book and can you provide it here?

CHAPTER THREE

Nate trod across the bedroom floor, a towel wrapped around his hips. He caught his image in the dresser mirror and thought that he didn’t look too bad for all that he had endured lately. He had never been the hulking, bruiser type. He had always been lanky muscle. He did his guy thing and flexed his pecs and biceps in the glass. So the lovely lady in the kitchen fancied this with all its secrets and problems. He fancied her with all her secrets and problems too. “It’s good.” He bent closer to the mirror. More sleep, less stress would help the dark circles under his eyes. But who could sleep soundly with the madness at his front door? Someone knocked at the bedroom door.

“Yes?”

“It’s Paul, sir. I have some news about Jerry.”

“Good. Good. I was just about to call his kin. Avner let you up here?” Nate opened the door and let Paul in. As he closed the door, in a flash, the newbie attacked him, knocking him around the room. The kid was so forceful and swift that he caught Nate off guard. In the tussle, Paul slammed him into the dresser. Trying to get his balance, Nate dragged the cloth off the dresser and everything with it. Two lamps went crashing to the floor. Nate got a few good punches and kicks to the kid’s face and middle before the attacker pulled a blackjack from a jacket pocket and popped him a few times on the head. Nate felt himself blacking out. With great effort he yelled, “Help! Help!”

“Quiet, fraud!” Paul struck him once more to subdue him. Paul tossed the blackjack to the floor. Grinning like a wet dream had come true, Paul reached into his waistband and pulled out a hunting knife. “Tina!” Nate mouthed before the world went dark and he felt the knife edge pierce his neck.

* * * *

Avner, his wife Iris and baby Akivah dropped by the main house to thank their employer for the terrific outing last night. Tina opened the front door.

“Hey! Come on in.”

“Where’s the main man, T? I got some news he’d want to hear. Pronto.”

Tina buzzed Iris and the baby. “Upstairs dressing. Go on up.” She took Akivah in her arms and he gurgled with glee. “This kid’s gonna ask me for a date soon. He’s so big for a baby his age.” She looked to Iris. “A side effect, you think?” The pert redhead shrugged her shoulders and replied, “Your guess is as good as mine.”

Loud thumping and yells emanated from upstairs. “Nate!” Avner cried, pulling out his Jericho, racing for the stairs. Tina handed Akivah back to Iris. “What’s going on?” both women screamed. “Stay here, Iris, out of sight.” Tina followed Avner. They reached the bedroom door at the same time Evie and Moz did. Avner kicked it in. A naked Nate lay motionless on the floor in a pool of blood. “Oh God, no!” Tina screeched, rushing past Avner. She knelt and cradled Nate in her arms. She used a stray towel to apply pressure to a wound in his neck. Avner did a sweep of the room by checking closets and under the bed.

“Towels! Get towels from the bathroom, somebody!” Tina pleaded. Evie headed for the bathroom, but Moz went instead with his trusty baseball bat. He hurried back with a stack while Tina and his wife worked on Nate.

Nate’s eyes flickered open. “Tina.”

“Who did this, baby?” Tina asked through a flood of tears. There was so much blood. Tina didn’t know if she’d puke, pass out or do both. She had no idea how many punctures riddled him only that blood was streaming out of a lot of places.

“It’s got to be the new guy. Paul. I was coming to tell Nate that the kid’s background check didn’t pass muster,”Avner said.

“Excuse me, but this looks sorta serious. Shouldn’t somebody call 911?” Moz asked.

“No, Moz. We can handle this,” Avner said.

“What do you mean?” Tina asked. “Handle it how? We need to get him to a freakin’ ER. Stat! Oh God. Nate? Nate?” He did not answer and closed his eyes. Tina sobbed loudly as she shook him. “I’m so sorry about the stuff I said to you in the kitchen. Don’t you die.”

“Believe me, T. Just let me alert the crew.” Avner took out his walkie-talkie. “All teams! All teams! Be on the lookout for Paul Justus. He is armed and dangerous. Apprehend if you can. If you cannot apprehend, shoot to kill. Repeat. Try to apprehend. If you cannot apprehend, shoot to kill.” He turned to Moz. “Please go downstairs and assure my wife that we’ve got everything under control. Stay with her, please. We’ll yell if we need ya. Thanks so much. Be careful.”

“You’re welcome.” Moz scratched his head. “I guess you know what you’re doin’. Tina, we ain’t leavin’ this house ’til we hear from you. Come on Evie.” Moz collected his wife and bat and went downstairs.

10. Where can your readers connect with you on the web? 

Readers can drop a comment at http://www.pjdeanwriter.com

http://www.twitter.com/#!/pjdeanwriter

http://www.facebook.com/PJ-Deans-Fan-Page