Interview with Aaron Patterson, Author of Airel

Welcome to our interview with Aaron Patterson, author of the YA paranormal novel Airel. Aaron has agreed to give away 3 copies of his book, so make sure you leave a comment below with your email address to quality for entry into the giveaway.

So, tell us a little bit about you. What makes you tick?

I am a big nerd really. I love to read, paint, hike and play with my kids. We hang by the pool, go out dancing on the weekends and have a ton of fun. I was a big reader as a kid, once read 100 books on summer break and now that I write, well, there is no better life in my book. (No pun intended=)

Who is your favorite author at the moment?

Ted Dekker

Now on to the important bit, your book. Can you tell us about it?

Airel is a mixed up girl, she has a crazy best friend Kim and is just trying to get through high school. She falls hard for the new boy Michael and kind of loses herself in the process. She is kidnapped and finds out she may not be all human. There are two parts to the book and I take you back to 1250 BC and you meet a Angel named Kreios. He loses his wife and must protect his daughter from a group called the Brotherhood. Both stories mesh in the end and all I can say is, you will love it!

What inspired you to write in this genre?

That is a funny story. First I wanted to kill the main character. That was all I wanted because so many books are the "Happy Ending" kind. So I went from there and I wont tell you what happens in the end but it will blow your mind!

Is this your first book?

No I have two other books published and two short stories. My other books are adult thrillers and it is a three part series. The first is Sweet Dreams, and the next is Dream On. They are in the CSI world and I am told that they are way cool, not sure who told me that but...

Do you have plans for more?

Yes, Airel is the first in a five book series. i love writing YA and will keep doing it as long as I can.

Describe your main characters in a single word.

Complicated.

Okay, now you can tell us more about them.

Airel is pretty but not a Hottie. Smart and funny and kind of a loner. She is small, only 5,1 and thin. But don't mess with her or she will put you down.

Kim is her best friend and will not stop talking! She opens her mouth and thinks later, always in trouble and never learns.

Michael is tall, a hunk and sort of a mystery. He may be evil but you never know. He likes Airel but not sure why, does he have something going on? Maybe.

What was the hardest scene to write?

Anything with Michael... he is a hard one to write as I connect with Airel better. I know weird...

What is your favorite scene?

The end scene. It was fun and heart-wrenching.

Can we read it?

WE MADE IT TO the theater before anything disastrous could happen. After I parked, Michael opened my door for me, and on the way to the ticket booth, he grabbed my hand and held it, and would not let go. I was glad, but terrified. On one side of this shiny new coin, he was not shy about his affection for me, and didn’t feel like he needed to ask permission for anything. On the other side, what the heck was he doing holding my hand without asking permission? 

We bought our tickets and went in to the theater, but not before Kim and I had a conference in the bathroom to compare notes. She insisted on digging for all the dirt on me and Michael from the five minute trip over to the theater and dished me all the dirt that I didn’t really want to know about her and James. 

“Guess what? Guess who his favorite band is? Just guess!” She was giddy. It was cute. They were both crazy about the exact same music. We walked out holding hands and giggling. Luckily, that discouraged any more handholding by Michael as we found our seats. But, of course, I let him sit next to me. I couldn’t be rude. Besides, I wanted to sit by him.

Darkness filled the movie theater as the previews started rolling. It was girl, girl, boy, boy, Kim on my left, Michael on my right and James next to Michael. Kim didn’t seem to mind or maybe she just didn’t care. Michael was making jokes about the different movies that were coming out and leaned over, whispering in my ear, “Do you want anything? Popcorn or a drink?” 

Just the sound of his voice in my ear made the hair on my arms stand up again. Not to mention the goose bumps. “Sure. Diet Pepsi and popcorn. Thanks, Michael.”

“No problem.” He slipped out and James followed.. 

“They went for a junk food run,” I whispered to Kim

“Good, I’m starved.” Then she changed gears again, almost giving me whiplash. “So. I see you and Michael are getting friendly…” She had a glint of sarcasm in her voice. 

“He’s nice, but he’s a little out of my league, if you know what I mean.” I didn’t dare even think about anything more with Michael other than friendship...  even with the handholding. It could have been a fluke. Or maybe I’m being neurotic. 

If there’s one thing I’d learned about guys, it was that they can hurt. I was going to be as cautious as possible about all of this. Michael was friendly with everyone, anyway, and I had no reason to believe he was seriously considering me as one of his many, many options.

“Come on, he likes you. Anyone can see that. Don’t worry about anything, just leave it to me.” I gave her that don’t even think about it look and hit her in the arm. “Ow, so mean!”

“Ha! You deserved it. Now don’t try anything or I’ll tell James you’re a stalker.”

“So? I am.” Kim laughed, adjusting her purse. She flipped out her phone and left a movie theater check-in on Facebook, moving quickly on to Twitter. I guess a girl’s got to stay in touch with her peeps, but Kim was a little overboard. I was on Facebook too, but that was only because Kim had set it up for me. If I didn’t get on it often enough, she would hack in and post stuff on my behalf—just another reason why I could never lose her.

Michael came back up the stairs and slid in next to me. He handed me a large soda and smiled. “Big enough for ya?”

“Yeah, ya think? Holy BUCKET.” I giggled like an idiot and turned my face away. What was this guy doing to me? “Where’s James?”

“He had to go to the bathroom. He should be back soon. Unless he’s running scared from … ahem…” He pointed with his thumb over to Kim who was busy checking her reflection on her phone.

“Ha, she would find him,” I whispered in his ear. I could smell his shampoo and feel the warmth of his skin next to mine. His arm brushed mine and I almost embarrassed myself by screaming. It probably would have come out really weak, given the heart palpitations I was having to deal with.

James came back a few minutes later and took a handful of popcorn. Sheesh, help yourself, pal. The movie started and I scrunched down in my seat, wondering what I was doing. Was I a glutton for pain? Did I just like to have my heart broken? Just the thought of… 

My thoughts were instantly cut off by something I had never felt before. It was like a splitting headache in the back of my skull. Everything went fuzzy. I closed my eyes and tried to focus and for the second time today, I felt like throwing up. This time it was not as strong, though. I controlled my lunch, breathed in deep three times, then opened my eyes.

The people in front of us, all the way down to the front row, were all a blur—all but two, who sat in the second row. It was a tall man with short blond hair and a shorter man with a ball cap on. They were talking and from where I was sitting, I could tell they were not happy.

The tall blond man leaned over and whispered something to the ball cap man and he stiffened. I had a bad feeling that something was going to happen, but I wasn’t sure. What are they talking about? 

Then I saw it. The glint of a blade, catching the light from the movie screen, appearing from the blond man’s coat. I saw his arm wrap around the ball cap man’s shoulder, reaching around to cover his mouth.

I tried to yell, but nothing came out. I just opened and closed my mouth like a fish. There was no way this was real. Everyone else seemed not to notice the two men, but I could feel what happened.

The tall man jerked his arm, making the ball cap man’s body twitch crookedly. A second time he thrust the knife in and after a few more seconds the ball cap man went limp in his seat. I was speechless. I had just witnessed a cold-blooded murder. I couldn’t breathe, let alone talk. It looked like the ball cap man was napping in the darkness. There was no way anyone would see he was dead until the end of the movie.

Now, just as if I had shouted at him, the tall man with the knife turned and looked dead at me. His piercing dark eyes shot a hole right through me. I jerked my gaze away and tried to act like I was lost in the movie. He stared at me and refused to let me out of his sight. I managed to grunt something like, “I have to go to the restroom.” I stood and slipped by Michael and James.

I hiked down the stairs and past the killer’s row, was and I could feel him watching me hatefully. He sat still as I passed. I didn’t look his way. I could feel his gaze follow me as I turned to go out into the lobby. I was scared and in a panic, not sure what to do. My mind felt like sludge and would not work like I needed it to. 

I hit the lobby quickly and ran full blast to the bathroom where I promptly threw up in the sink. I looked into the mirror. My reflection was the image of a stranger—I wondered at all of this for a split second. Questions came tumbling in, all jumbled up and twisted together with answers that didn’t fit. I fumbled with my phone and dialed 911. Come on, pick up! 

“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”

I was just about to answer when I heard the door open. I turned and rushed to an empty stall. I shut the door as quietly as I could and crouched down on top of the toilet. I quickly turned off my phone but it played that irritating jingle that’s always way too loud, giving me away. There was silence then for what felt like eternity. Then I heard heavy footfalls. Someone was walking slowly through the room…toward me.

Like a crazy person, he was whistling some random tune, very low, like a whisper. At first it was unintelligible, total nonsense. But then he came even closer to the stall where I hid, and as he did, I swear I could recognize the tune. It was beyond me to put a name to it, but it filled me with horror. 

I shivered as he came closer, the footfalls like heavy machinery, dropping like lead weights on the tile floor. I saw under the door  the shine of a pair of men’s dress shoes.

Oh God, oh God…! Don’t let him find me… I was crouched like a jungle cat on the toilet and if I could have pinned my ears back, I would have.

I could see him hunch down on the balls of his feet, his coat touching the floor around him like a tent. He started looking under the stall doors, crouching lower. His hand dropped down and a bloody eight-inch long knife was in his hand. I just about screamed but I clamped my hand down over my mouth, only allowing a frightened gasp to escape.

I watched him through the crack of the door, his body tensed like a vicious predator. He sniffed at the air. Then his hands slowly came down and rested on the floor, balled up on his knuckles with silky elegance. It was more frightening than the anger and violence I was expecting. He seemed to be completely calm and collected. 

Down he sank, and as he did, he slid his feet back away from his hands. Lower and lower to the floor as if doing a push-up, he descended, the knife in the hand nearest to me. 

I could not bear it, but I knew I would see his face... it was inevitable. I dreaded the seconds as they ticked along with me riding inside them, but I also dreaded those that were coming for me.

Then it happened. His face appeared in the small space under the door. He was looking directly at me. I could not bear his gaze. My body twitched and I turned away and trembled in panic.

~ * ~

A big thank you to Aaron for chatting with us today. He will be our guest on Blog Talk Radio on Wednesday, so make sure you stop in and listen at 3:30pm PST.

It's contest time! Leave a comment below with your email address in the following format to be entered into the giveaway. parayournormalteam(at)gmail(dot)com. Good luck to everyone!

Interview with Jennifer Turner, Author of Eternal Hearts

Today we are interviewing Jennifer Turner, author of Eternal Hearts, a paranormal romance. Jennifer is giving away two copies of her book to a couple lucky commenters, so be sure you leave a comment with your email address. Enjoy the interview...

What inspired the storyline for Eternal Hearts?

I know this is probably where I’m supposed to wax poetic about how much I love my hubby and how our relationship inspired the book…but I’d so be lying! ;) Don’t get me wrong, I love and adore my husband in ways I can’t even begin to explain – but nothing about our story is anything close to Toni & Drake’s. The inspiration for Eternal Hearts really came from the characters themselves. Drake and Toni both gave me such a strong sense of who they were throughout the story, and I knew neither of them would fall in love without giving it everything they had. And well, that’s exactly what they did. :)

Your protagonist, Toni, is a vampire. What makes her tick?

If there was one driving force behind Toni’s character, I’d have to say it’s passion. She doesn’t do anything without giving it everything she has. She also has a strong sense of loyalty, and wants nothing more than to be surrounded by the people she cares for most. She also wears her heart on her sleeve, and never ignores an opportunity to tell someone how much they mean to her. She’s tough but vulnerable…and is never afraid to learn from her mistakes.

Drake is an assassin hired to protect Toni. Is he a vampire as well?

Drake is a vampire…but he’s also something else. :)

How does the Vampiric Society work? Are there certain ranks?

The Darkness Within world of vampires is ruled by age. The oldest vampires are the most powerful, and while not every single younger vampire is the puppet of an Ancient or Elder…many are.

Who is your favorite character in the book?

If I had to pick a favorite character from Eternal Hearts, I’d have to go with a secondary character named Oktober. There’s just something so jaded and totally unapologetic about him that I can’t help but to love him. I’ve never written a character that blatantly refuses to change the way he does. He is who he is, and makes no excuses for the way he sees the world. I just love everything about him…even his frequent need to eat people…and not in a good way. :D

Why did you choose to write in the paranormal romance genre?

I’ve always loved vampires and otherworldly creatures. And the idea of being able to create my own world for not only vampires to play in, but other supernaturals as well, was just too tempting to pass up. ;) Plus, the paranormal romance genre allows for a good dose of horror before the characters find their happy ending, and I can’t imagine ever writing a novel that doesn’t have at least a few mild horror elements in it.

What is the hardest part of the writing process?

For me, the hardest part is writing sex scenes. :) I can write five chapters full of gut wrenching emotional scenes in the time it takes me to write three pages of sex. No matter how hard I try, when I reread the scene it always sounds cheesy to me. So now when I finish writing one, I let my hubby, my Mom, and a beta reader or two look it over, and if they say it’s good – I won’t read the scene again unless my agent wants a change. And even then…I might argue! ;)

FYI – My Mom has been an avid romance reader all her life, so if she doesn’t find a problem with one of my sex scenes, I know it can’t be too terrible. :)

How many other books have you written?

I’ve written a total of five books to date, but the only two available are Eternal Seduction and Eternal Hearts. The other three are books 3,4, and 5 in the series. :)

In which genre would you be least likely to write?

I would have to say…children’s books. They take a special brand of patience and creativity that I just don’t have.

Will Eternal Hearts have a sequel, or is it a stand-alone?

Eternal Hearts is actually the 2nd book in the Darkness Within series, with Eternal Seduction being the 1st. I think they each could stand alone, but I’d recommend reading them in order for the full effect. ;)

Are you currently working on any new projects?

I’m working on final revisions for Eternal Embrace, book three in the Darkness Within series, which will release in October of 2011. And I’m also finishing up the first novella in the Ascension trilogy, Ascension: The Revelation, which will release later this summer.

Where can readers purchase Eternal Hearts?

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Eternal-Hearts-Jennifer-Turner/dp/0982432119/

B&N: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Eternal-Hearts/Jennifer-Turner/e/9780982432112/

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/56744

All Romance E-books: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-eternalhearts-544276-139.html

Eternal Hearts can also be purchased at local bookstores via the ISBN: 978-0982432112

Where can readers connect with you on the web?

Website: http://www.darknesswithinnovels.com

Blog: http://www.jen-turner.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferTurner

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/DarknessWithinJen

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/darknesswithin

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/drkness_within

Can you share an excerpt of your Eternal Hearts?

Toni went quiet for a moment as her dark eyes moved over him, lingering on his face before she traced down one arm, then the other. When she’d finished her poorly disguised appraisal, she made an even slower journey back to meet his eyes. “I like your tattoos.”

Drake looked down at the litany of tribal designs covering his scarred forearms, representing both sides of his cursed heritage. “Thanks. Some are starting to fade though. I need to get them touched up soon.”

“Do they still hurt?”

“Nah. They heal pretty fast. Believe it or not, I have more trouble getting the ink to stick than anything.”

Her gaze slipped from his eyes back to his arms. “I meant the scars.”

He set the empty bottle back on the counter then walked over to the end of the bed. “This one does, sometimes,” he admitted as he tapped the thick, jagged line that ran about six inches down the top of his right forearm. “A Mystic caught me with an enchanted blade she had hidden in her boot.” He pointed out the faded circular scar a little lower. “But this one’s left over from a bullet wound. I barely notice it unless I’m looking.”

She arched a brow. “I know what gunshot scars look like.”

“Yeah?” He couldn’t help but to bait her. “Seen a few on some of your Warrior boyfriends, have ya?”

Her caramel eyes sparked with challenge. “You think you’re a Badass? You wanna play Scar Wars with me?” She kicked her shoes off the side of the bed before she stood up on it. “I’ll play with you.” She walked across the mattress to stand in front of him then tipped her head back. “See this?” she asked as she ran her index finger over the barely there line that spanned her neck. “That’s what happens when you don’t have permission to be in Dallas, and all I was doing was pumping gas.”

He considered the line again, noting how it alternated slightly between thinner and thicker segments. “You got razor wired at the gas station? Did you run the Lord over on your way there or something?”

“No. I’d already talked to the Lord and he said I couldn’t stay. So I stopped to get gas on my way out. I wasn’t exactly ready when the Enforcement Team jumped me.”

Drake looked down at the bed and tried to remember the last contract he’d fulfilled in Texas. “I’m fairly certain the Lord of Dallas is a Tech. Do you have GPS in your car?”

She nodded. “I have a small handheld one I keep in the glove box.”

“That’s how they got you then. He used it to track you.”

Her mouth gaped open. “But all I was doing was filling up my car.”

“Doesn’t matter. Have you pissed off a Tech anywhere else?”

Her face sobered remarkably. “Um…yeah.”

“They’re all networked. So if I were you, I’d stay out of cities where a Tech’s in charge, unless you know for sure that you’re better than their Enforcement Team.” He grinned at her. “So is that it? Is that all ya got?”

She pulled the neck of her black t-shirt down a bit and to the left. An inch or so below her clavicle was a round scar surrounded by a larger ring of raised and discolored skin. “I got this one about a year ago in Miami. I found the Head of Enforcement, but as soon as I said my name she told me to get out. I guess I didn’t move fast enough.” She stretched the neck over to the right, revealing a matching scar just a little higher and closer to her shoulder. “She gave me this one, too.”

Drake sucked in a breath between his teeth. He knew the mottled burn patterns around her gunshot wounds all too well. After all, only one type of bullets could do lasting damage to a vampire, and his own guns were usually filled with them. “Phosphorus rounds, I’ve been there.” He lifted his t-shirt to show her the tight group of three similar scars on his right side, less than an inch below his ribcage. “I got these in London a few years ago.” He pulled back his left sleeve and rubbed the inside of his biceps. “Same with these two. I’ve got two more on my thigh, one on my calf, and one on the top of my foot. They hurt like a bitch while they’re healing, don’t they?”

“Are you kidding? Mine still hurt.” She reached out and brushed a cold finger over the mess of crisscrossed scars on his forearm. “But yours look like they heal a lot better than mine do.” Her eyes slowly trailed up his arm to his face. “I’m guessing you don’t have much trouble feeding though.” He stiffened as she pressed a chilly palm against his cheek. “Nice face, good body, strong heartbeat. How do you stay so warm anyway?”

Drake swallowed hard. Something told him she wouldn’t care for the explanation of how he maintained his body heat, so instead he offered a fitting option for her. “All you have to do is will your blood to warm, which you could actually do right now instead of using me as your personal heating pad.”

Her nose wrinkled right before she rested her free hand against his other cheek so she held his face in her hands, sending a wave of chills across his shoulders. “I can’t do that. And with how close you are to me right now, I think you know why.”

He’d known since the elevator, but he wondered if she’d actually tell the truth. “Why not?”

“Because using you as a personal heating pad is cheaper.” When he rolled his eyes, she flashed the most disarming smile he’d ever seen. “Because I can’t spare the blood, that’s why. I only eat when I have to. The less I feed, the smaller the chance I’ll make a mistake and earn myself another scar, especially since I don’t have any of those nifty Jedi mind tricks everyone else seems to have.”

Drake had to laugh at the same reference he’d heard Odin use countless times before. “No mental manipulation for you, huh?”

“Nope. I don’t think I’d be very good at it anyway.” She shook her head then slid her hands down to rest on either side of his neck. “Besides, playing with someone’s memories is just wrong, and from what I’ve heard, way too easy to mess up. The last thing I need to do is break the Veil.” She withdrew her hands as shadows flickered behind her eyes. “Then I’d be hunted… instead of just hated.” Her shoulders slumped a little more with each breath that followed, until the worn, apologetic qualities he’d first seen on the sidewalk had returned in full force.

And just like that – she was gone.

The playful woman from only moments before had disappeared, slipped away into some personal Hell where the torturer probably wore her face. A place where every mistake she’d ever made became another lash, and every regret she’d ever felt wove another line into a tangled web of scars that no one else could see.

And he knew where she’d gone, because he’d been there…and it wasn’t a punishment he’d wish on even his worst enemies.

Before instinct could stop him, Drake reached out and brushed his thumb across her icy cheek. He waited for her to move back, expected her to push him away, but when she didn’t, when she shivered at his touch and then leaned into his hand…he knew he was in trouble.

Don’t do it. He knew he shouldn’t, knew what he was about to offer broke every rule attached to a protection contract, but if he could help her regain even a small piece of the life immortality had stolen, for some strange reason that he didn’t understand – he wanted to.

He lowered his hand to rest on her shoulder. “There’s another way to bring back your body heat for a little while without using your blood, but you have to trust me…and I completely understand if you don’t.”

Tears shimmered in her eyes. “Will it hurt?”

“No, it shouldn’t hurt. But it’ll probably feel really weird at first, and it will wake up your beast. Not in anger, but you’ll definitely know the little bastard’s there.”

She chewed at her bottom lip for a few moments before she finally drew a deep breath and nodded. “I trust you. Whatever it is, I wanna try it.”

Drake took a few steps back and prepared himself for the screaming rage of a pissed off vampiress. “Close your eyes and take off your shirt.”

The shadows in her eyes went wild. “What did you just say?”

“I need more skin available.” He motioned from her neck to her toes. “You’re wearing a long sleeved shirt, jeans, and socks. All I’ve got to work with is your face, neck, and hands. I can do it with just those, but it’ll go a lot faster if I have more available.” He lost control of his mouth and broke into a wide grin. “Look at it this way, at least I didn’t tell you to close your eyes and take off your pants.”

She tapped her foot against the mattress. “I told you I’d trust you…please don’t give me something else to regret.” And with that said, she closed her eyes and pulled her shirt up over her head.

All Drake could do was stare at Toni’s body as her shirt fell to the floor. While she certainly couldn’t give him a run for his money in Scar Wars, as she’d called it, he knew plenty of supernaturals who’d lose in a competition against her.

Namely, almost every other female vampire he’d ever met.

Aside from the two she’d already shown him, six more gunshot wounds dotted her chest and abdomen, and that tally would only hold if no others were hidden under her black cotton bra. Multiple single lined scars marred her tanned skin, most ranging from one to two inches, some even smaller. But it was the long, discolored swath of pale skin that ran from just inside her right wrist, all the way up the inside of her arm and over her shoulder that really drew his attention.

Only one weapon left that kind of scar on a vampire…

The sun.

He shook his head. The scar didn’t look like a punishment though. It looked as though she’d opened a door at Noon, which was an amazing feat to begin with considering most vampires her age couldn’t even wake up during the day, let alone stand up and open something.

But why would she test the sun?

Drake let go of the question he couldn’t begin to answer as his eyes moved over Toni’s body again. Standing on the mattress in front of him, not only did she almost match his height, but she defied nearly every truth he thought he’d established for a vampiress.

Not an ounce of make-up painted her face. Her dark hair fell free past her shoulders, not expertly styled or arranged. She didn’t smell of expensive perfumes or exotic fragrances, only mild soap and shampoo. And he was sure the worn low rise jeans and simple black cotton bra that hugged each curve of her athletic body could beat out the finest lingerie any day, hands down.

He swallowed the dry knot forming in his throat as he stared at her closed eyes. No matter what his instincts wanted him to believe, she wasn’t like every other vampire. She stood in front of him not as a perfect vampiress, but as a flawed woman, whose skin told the tale of a life she’d fought to live. A life that probably hadn’t worked out the way she thought it would, but one she’d accepted, and from what he could tell, tried to make the best of.

And making the most of what fate blindly threw at you was something Drake understood in ways most people never would.

He sucked in a deep breath and slowly blew it out. “Are you ready?”

 ~

We'd like to thank Jennifer for stopping by to talk with us about her book. Please be sure to listen to our Blog Talk Radio interview with her on Wednesday at 3:30pm PST. Don't forget to leave a comment with your email address to be entered into the eBook giveaway!

Stepping Out of the Shadows... Guest Post by Julia Kavan

I grew up reading and listening to ghost stories – so I guess it was natural that when I started writing seriously I would try my hand at horror and tales of the supernatural. I also sought out real life mysteries and accounts of paranormal phenomena – spontaneous human combustion, demons, vampires...vengeful ghosts and poltergeists. The idea of encountering any of these things in the cold light of day (well, not vampires, obviously!) is what provides the inspiration for the stories I write. I am also intrigued by the workings of the human mind – the tricks it plays on us, and its ability to create the fantasies both wonderful and terrible that play out in our sleep. Dreams and nightmares will always have a place in my stories.

Tales of ‘monsters’ do not scare me, and blood, guts and gore either leave me cold or feeling queasy. And it’s the scare factor I look for, along with the feeling that this really could happen. I also like to be tricked or seduced into reading something I’d really rather not, but the writing is so enticing you just have to read on...

I always enjoyed writing as a child, often reading out my work at school events - at least until teenage awkwardness kicked in! I was then more than happy to watch others bring my words to life – and it was at that point I really started to consider the audience, and started writing with a view to affecting how they felt and thought.

I have been working on a novel for quite some time, however life tends to get in the way every now and then and I’ve also taken the odd detour. I’ve taught creative writing for ten years and have also written four television screenplays.  My first short story, Dreaming, Not Sleeping , was epublished earlier this year, and I am on the brink of completing the novel, While Yet A Boy I Sought For Ghosts – a more gentle supernatural mystery.

While Yet A Boy... is more of a traditional ghost story, with mysteries to be solved and tragedies to be played out. I set the story in the area where I grew up in England, and local landmarks make an appearance. The wonderful Ely Cathedral with its surrounding buildings is a central landmark in the story, and we spend some time in the forests of Norfolk and Suffolk. But it is the ghosts I love the most – evil, flawed, vulnerable and vengeful – they prove a real challenge for forensic artist, Nick Colton, as he tries to lay his own, personal ghost to rest.  I hope these spirits get to see the light of day very soon.

~ * ~

Born in the University city of Cambridge, England, Julia Kavan has spent most of her life living in Cambridgeshire - atmospheric and the perfect inspiration for ghost stories.

She has taught creative writing classes for the last ten years, whilst writing screenplays, tackling a novel and experimenting with short stories.

A true Scorpio, her tastes definitely err towards the dark side. She devoured horror stories as a teenager, including James Herbert and Stephen King in her list of favorite authors, moving on to Clive Barker and Peter Straub. As a child she would watch anything that even vaguely looked as if it may be scary... so perhaps it is only natural that this is the area her writing tends to wander into - even if she don't always intend it to! 

You can find Julia on Twitter,  Facebook, and her Website. 

Purchase Dreaming, Not Sleeping at the following links:

http://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-Not-Sleeping-ebook/dp/B004LGTKJQ/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dreaming-Not-Sleeping/dp/B004LGTKJQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296488292&sr=1-1

http://www.etopia-press.net/

Nearly Departed in Deadwood by Ann Charles, A ParaYourNormal Review

Nearly Departed in Deadwood by Ann Charles follows the adventures of Violet Parker, a single mom turned real-estate agent in Deadwood, South Dakota. Life should be great working as Realtor, but it’s not. In fact, if Violet doesn’t sell a house in three weeks, she will lose her job to the nephew of chauvinistic coworker, Ray.

Mr. Fake Tan is dead set on making Vi’s life a living hell, constantly trading barbs with her about how much she sucks at being a real estate agent.

Just as things begin looking grim for Vi, enter Wolfgang Hessler, heir of the local Hessler Jewelry store. He requires her services in helping him sell his dearly departed mother’s large Victorian house.

The news is just what Vi has been hoping for, until she shows up and finds the house needs more than a little cleaning. Desperate to make a sell and keep her job, she takes on the challenge of selling this dilapidating house. If only she knew the eerie little secrets contained within the walls of this once grand home, would she have been so willing to take it on? They say every person has skeletons hiding in their closet. Does the same go for houses?

As if this isn't enough of a challenge, she meets Dane 'Doc" Nyce, the handsome neighbor to the realator office she works in. On their first encounter, Doc sends Vi falling to his feet. #literally. Doc hires Violet to find him a house, the second best news of the week.

It seems like life is finally through knocking Violet down. Not only does she have a house to sell, she has a potential buyer. Of course, nothing in life is ever that simple.

Among her troubles at work, there is a serial kidnapper going around snatching little girls that fit her daughters description to a tee. Now she not only has to worry about keeping her job, she has to worry about protecting her children.

Overall, I found Nearly Departed in Deadwood a pleasure to read. Ann’s characters have vivid personalities that are well drawn and at times, quite humorous. I found myself laughing loudly at Violet’s thoughts. Her sarcastic sense of humor is refreshing an unlike any of the books I’ve read within the last year. It’s no wonder Ann won an award for this story. Her storytelling capabilities are tremendous.

If you like your book with a supernatural twist, I think you will find a great read in Nearly Departed in Deadwood. PYN gives it five stars. If you would like to win a copy of Ann’s book, visit her blog today and leave a comment, as she is a participant in Blog Tour de Force and is giving away free eBooks. You will also get a chance to win a Kindle for participating in this blog tour. So what are you waiting for? Go to Ann’s blog here and get your copy of this Dauphne du Maurier Award winning novel.