FEATURED AUTHORS: JOYCE & JIM LAVENE

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sunshine Merryweather is a young witch with a passion for colorful clothes and good food. She is the owner/operator of the Purple Door Detective Agency. Her partner, John, was brutally murdered three days ago, and she won’t stop until she finds his killer. Aine is only interested in one thing when she walks into the building with the purple door – locating the last man alive in the branch of the O’Neill family she haunts as a beane sidhe. Neither woman is aware of the danger they face as an ancient assassin stalks the old port city of Norfolk, Virginia. It will take more than simple witchcraft or beane sidhe magic to stop the killer. They will have to work together and combine their talents.
But can Sunshine and Aine put aside their differences to stop the murders without tearing each other apart?

INTERVIEW WITH JOYCE LAVENE

How long have you been a writer?
All of my life. Professionally since 1999.

How often do you tweet?
Dozens of times every day.

How do you feel about Facebook?
I love Facebook. It’s a writer’s best friend.

What five things would you never want to live without?
Chocolate. My family. Writing. Rain. Fear.

3D movies are . . .  awful. Not sure how anyone watches them.

If you had a swear jar, would it be full?
Absolutely.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
A bit of both. I doubt if anyone is either or.

What's your favorite treat for movie night?
Pizza.

What's the biggest lie you ever told?
If I told than everyone would know.

You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be?
Godzilla. I’d like to be big and scary.

What's your relationship with your cell phone?
Love it. Don’t want to live without it.


How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
4-6.

Do you sweat the small stuff?
Always

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
Writing the rough draft. Discovering why things are happening in the story.


What are you working on now?
The first book in the Canterville Book Shop Mysteries – A Dickens of a Murder.

Lightning round:
Cake or frosting? Cake.

Laptop or desktop? Laptop.

Chevy Chase or Bill Murray? Eww.

Emailing or texting? Texting.

Indoors or outdoors? Indoors.

Tea: sweet or unsweet? Sweet

Plane, train, or automobile? Car.

Connect with Joyce & Jim:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  

GUEST POST BY BRYDIE WALKER BAIN

ABOUT THE BOOK

Nat Sheppard’s world is turned upside down on the first day of the school holidays by the discovery of a secret room containing cave maps with clues to an ancient treasure. But Nat and her friends soon discover they’re not the only ones chasing the jewels. Professional treasure hunters are on the trail – and they’re prepared to eliminate anyone in their way.

My Brothers & The Secret of Sinbad's Cave

by Brydie Walker Bain

Accepted wisdom is to write what you know. Growing up as the oldest of five children, there’s one thing I know; brothers. I have a sister too, but she arrived too late to be a useful ally. For most of the time it was my three brothers and me, the four of us only six years apart.

There is a photograph of me, wearing my father's shoes at age twenty months. I am sitting on my newborn brother Joseph in the bouncinette. I don't look happy to see him. When Fraser arrived I was three. Five when Chad turned up. There was a brief moment of being able to dress them up, but that pliability soon vanished in a clatter of karate moves and skateboarding tricks.

My brothers created a whirlwind of energy that dominated our household. Joe's mates would start arriving in the back yard every morning before school while I was still having breakfast. En masse, they'd wander down the road together.

Saturdays were soccer game days, but every other day was for soccer training. I can still remember the thump of the ball as Chad practiced against the garage door.

Some things, though, are best forgotten. I was at high school when a mini half-pipe was built for Fraser. When I mentioned that to him a few months ago he stared at me.
'Yes, and you broke it.'
I frowned. 'Did I?'
Yes,' he said. 'Old fatty sister put her foot right through.'
I was amazed. I had happily erased that from my memory.

Car rides were the worst. My parents tried to show us as much of the country as they could, a noble idea, except for the journey. Trapped together for hours on end, the intense physical energy of my three brothers would condense into ruthless verbal barbs and then culminate in a perfect punch swung across the seats. My mother would sternly instruct me to ignore them, but how could anyone ignore a catapulting, teasing, pinching mass of arms and bad jokes?

I plotted vicious revenge. I constructed perfect mud balls to throw at them. They were round and rock solid, stored up for the right moment. But I was easily derailed. For example, I remember the intense jealousy I felt when Joseph learned to whistle before me.

My father would tell me that in years to come, my brothers would be my best friends. I'd laugh bitterly, as only a twelve year old could. But Dad was right. I love them more than anything. Any time we get together it is hilarious - often at each other’s expense. There are still punches and terrible jokes. Catching up with my brothers is one of the things I most look forward to. I just wish they could remember my birthday.

Having grown up in a household of leaping yelling boys, I was compelled to create characters in my YA novel that were funny, loyal, and cheeky too.

The Secret of Sinbad's Cave could be described as Treasure Island meets Famous Five - with a mystical twist. Nat Sheppard and her friends find a series of cave maps that leads to ancient jewels, but they are pursued by ruthless treasure hunters that will do anything to stop them.

There are three boys in my story; Nat's brother Jack, and two good friends, Barnaby and Elijah. Although they're all on Nat's side, they never miss a chance to poke fun at her either.

Following is a brief excerpt. I think you’ll be able to see from where I drew my inspiration.

Excerpt from The Secret of Sinbad's Cave

Nat pulled to a perfect stop in front of the three boys. ‘Hi,’ she said. Her heart was beating wildly.

‘Old Splattercat,’ said Elijah. His dark hair was short and spiked, and his olive skin still wore a summer tan. ‘Good to see you again.’

‘You too,’ said Nat. ‘How’s boarding school?’

‘Good,’ said Elijah. ‘I’m in the First Eleven. Not bad for a fifteen year old aye!’

‘Nice,’ said Nat. She couldn’t believe how much he’d grown; especially across his shoulders.

Elijah was calm and in control, but Barnaby was always up to mischief. He had the same olive skin as his older brother, but Barnaby was skinnier. His long scruffy hair made him look like a surfer.

‘Hi Splat,’ said Barnaby. ‘Been climbing recently?’

Nat groaned. Not again.

‘You’ve got natural Splatter ability,’ continued Barnaby. ‘Remember when we were out bouldering, and you boasted that you’d perfected that really hard climb?’

‘Was that the one she demanded we watch?’ asked Elijah. A massive grin spread across his face.

‘Yep,’ said Barnaby. ‘What happened next? That’s right, you fell and winded yourself so bad we almost called the ambulance.’

‘I was quite worried,’ said Elijah.

‘I was too,’ said Jack.

‘Yeah right,’ said Barnaby. They all laughed.

‘Anyway,’ said Nat. ‘What are you guys doing here?’

‘We were biking home when we found Jack crying ‘cos he’d lost his sister,’ said Elijah.

Jack scoffed. ‘Whatever.’

‘Do you all know Riki?’ asked Nat.

‘Long time, no see,’ said Elijah. ‘How’s it going?’

‘Good,’ replied Riki. ‘Are you guys up for a mission?’

‘Absolutely,’ said Barnaby. ‘Does it involve finding the cave Jack’s been going on about?’

‘Not yet,’ said Nat. ‘We’re going to the Glowworm Cave.’

The boys groaned. Repeated school trips through the cave had dimmed their enthusiasm for the glowworms and formations.

‘Let’s go to a real cave,’ said Barnaby.

‘You just want to play in the mud,’ said Jack.

Barnaby smiled. ‘Yep!’

‘The thing is,’ said Riki, ‘we’re going into the cave with a tour – but not coming out with one.’

‘We’re staying the night?’ asked Elijah.

‘Probably not.’ Riki lowered her voice. ‘We’ll bust out once we find what we’re looking for.’

Barnaby leaned forward. ‘Which is?’

‘Sinbad’s lost treasure.’

‘I’m in,’ said Barnaby. He glanced around the group. ‘I think we all are.’

‘Excellent,’ said Nat. ‘Listen up – here’s the plan.’


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brydie Walker Bain is a playwright, poet and children's author. She studied History and Theatre & Film at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and furthered her studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Brydie's plays have enjoyed readings in London, rave reviews and sell out audiences in Auckland, Hamilton and Waitomo. Her latest project is The Natnat Adventures. This young adult series successfully launched with The Secret of Sinbad's Cave, and continues with The Ship of Sight and The Hand of Shadow.

Contact Brydie:
Facebook  |  Goodreads  

Featured Author: Kasper Beaumont

Kasper Beaumont is the indie author of an epic fantasy adventure series, Hunters of Reloria. She currently has two novels out, Elven Jewel and Hunters’ Quest, and she's hard at work writing the third book in the trilogy. She's here to talk about her books, writing, and a little bit about herself today.

About the books:

 
Elven Jewel:
The peaceful continent of Reloria is threatened by cruel invaders from the wastelands of Vergash. Halflings Randir and Fendi leave their peaceful farm village with their bond-fairies and race against time to stop the invaders. They join forces with dwarves, elves, men and a mysterious dragon, on a quest to rescue the stolen Elven Jewel. Book one of the trilogy.


Hunters’ Quest: 
Scaly Vergai invaders have captured the Elven Jewel from Reloria. Halfling friends, Randir and Fendi, their
bond-fairies, men, dwarves, an elf and a dragon are a group of brave hunters on a quest to recover the stolen Elven Jewel. They must search for a mage who can make a portal to Vergash to rescue the princess and restore the protective forcefield.

Interview with Kasper Beaumont:

Kasper, tell us the story behind the title of your books.

Elven Jewel is the title of my first book, and it is the crystal which is used to create the Shield of Reloria, which is an invisible forcefield. Naturally, the Vergai invaders are on a mission to steal the jewel.

Hunters’ Quest is the title of the 2nd book in the trilogy. A band of heroes called the Hunters of Reloria set out on a quest to recover the jewel.

Dragon’s Revenge is the final in the trilogy. Those Vergai should have known better than to anger a dragon!

What’s your favorite line from a book?

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird.  The more I write, the more true I find this to be.

One of your characters has just found out you’re about to kill him off. He/she decides
to beat you to the punch. How would he kill you?

Well, if it were the dragon, I’d be hiding far, far away from his deadly breath, to be sure.

If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose?

I think I’d choose Sienna. She's a brave huntress, who is an awesome halfling fighter, seems totally fearless and has a handsome little bond-fairy who can heal her. She’s had a hard life to be sure, but her great attitude and sense of adventure are admirable.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

Most days I would say it is the attack at Stonefield Inn. Of course if I’m in a romantic mood, I do love the picnic at Goblin Falls too.

You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be?

I reckon I’d be the Artful Dodger from Oliver Twist or maybe Ginger Meggs or Huckleberry Finn.

Are you happy with your decision to self-publish?

Yes, although I still live in hope that Peter Jackson is going to knock on my door and offer me a 3 movie deal.

Don't we all!

I honestly haven’t tried contacting many publishers, because they seem to be looking for works with guaranteed sales these days, so I thought I’d give it a go myself. I tried about three publishers with my first novel before I had it properly edited, and I didn’t hear back. I’ve learnt to accept people's help and advice and try and write the best novels I can. 

Can you tell us a little about your road to publication?

Firstly, I sent my books to a local review company called Writers’ Web. Then I published on Amazon and then Smashwords. I have printed paperback copies of my first book and am in the process of getting the second book printed. 

I think I’ve been very lucky to find people who can help me and teach me the trade, such as my editors and a local artist I discovered.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?

Seriously, I could quote about 100 favourite lines from the Star Wars movies, but I’ll settle for this wise gem from Yoda, “Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.”

What three books have you read recently and would recommend?

Fairies of Feyllan by Cat Spydell - a fantasy.
African Hearts by Laura O’Connell - a romance.
Fake Profile by Khyiah Angel - a great book for teens on the hazards of social media.

All three are indie books by up-and-coming new writers. I like to support and review new authors.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing the third novel in my trilogy, Dragon’s Revenge and am doing some epic battle scenes as well as a nice romance. It’s so much fun, and I can’t wait to share it with all of you.
 
Come back when it's done and tell us more about it!

Thanks so much for the interview. I really enjoyed doing it and hope it helps people to understand me a little more and want to read my books.

Book trailer for Elven Jewel

Excerpt from Elven Jewel:

An excerpt from chapter 5 of Elven Jewel and the first time we see the beast...

The characters are 2 elves: Princess Shari-Rose and her guardian Daeron; the dwarven brothers Baja and Raja; and four brave halflings: Old Fandri; his son Fendi; friend Randir and a huntress named Sienna. They have been tracked to an inn by their adversary, the Vergai invaders. 

They followed the sounds of struggling around the corner of the inn and saw an incredible sight. A sopping wet Princess, wearing only a towel, was being held by the arms and legs by four of the scaly Vergai. Another of the creatures was trying to muffle her screams with his clawed hand, which she was biting on as hard as she could and causing him to growl in frustration.



All around them was a battle. Sienna held a green-stained dagger in one hand and was struggling with three of the creatures, two of which had arrows protruding from their torsos. Green blood was drying around the arrow shafts. The huntress stabbed at the invaders and aimed at the thinnest area of their thick hide on the sides of their neck.  Her bond fairy was a short distance away and was so intent in watching the fight that she did not see a Vergai’s rough hand closing around her from behind. The Vergai clapped his hands together and both fairy and halfling collapsed to the ground unconscious.



Fendi had grabbed a long dagger from the inn and Old Fandri drew his broad sword. Fendi was momentarily stunned by being in such close proximity to the large and fearsome Vergai. He exchanged a wide-eyed glance with his father, who gave a short nod. Together they charged towards the Vergai with a roar. Old Fandri stepped ahead to engage a Vergai with his sword and didn’t see one of the creatures whip around and strike Fendi solidly with his long thick tail. The young halfing gave a grunt and fell to the ground.



The final four Vergai were moving to surround Raja, who was flailing about a two-headed axe, as though he was berserk. Baja gave a yell and rushed to his aid. Baja threw a small axe, which felled one of the creatures, and then the dwarf got out a large wooden club and proceeded to bash all the Vergai on their knee caps. The two dwarfs were much shorter than the Vergai (who were about human height), but they made up for it in their fighting prowess. The Vergai all stood well back from the half-crazed little men.



Old Fandri had entered the fight over by the Princess. One of the Vergai had let go of her arms and had rushed at him with a chained morning star, spinning around dangerously.  Fandri was forced back towards the wall of the tavern and stumbled to the ground. The Vergai was just about to land a killing blow with his rotating spike, when a long sword covered in green blood, appeared through his chest. Daeron had come to Fandri’s rescue.



The powerfully-built elf looked dizzy on his feet and still had a bandage wrapped around his head from Lakehaven. He extricated his narrow sword from the Vergai and threw him to the ground. Then he held his hand down to help up the old halfling. “Thanks,” panted Fandri. “I’m getting too old for this.” He looked around and saw that the Vergai were taking advantage of the chaos and half-carrying, half-dragging the screaming Princess off into the night.



Fandri looked at the other fighters and realised that the Vergai were gaining the upper hand. Fendi, Sienna and Baja had been knocked out cold and Raja was the only one still fighting, but was totally surrounded by several big fighters. Old Fandri was just thinking that all was lost when a powerful screech filled the night. There was suddenly a flapping of great wings and a mighty burst of flame lit up the sky. The Vergai around Raja screamed and ran off after the Princess.



The sky went dark again, after that brief burst of light. All that Fandri could see was a huge dark shape, blotting out the stars. It screeched again and gave a huge burst of flame, which whooshed right over the top of the fleeing Vergai. Their thick scaly hides appeared to deflect the flames, but they screamed and howled and ran in all directions.  The winged beast flew to where the other Vergai were running with Shari-Rose and it picked them off her, one by one and threw them far into the distance, where they land with dull thuds.



Then the beast tenderly picked up Shari-Rose in its great talons and very carefully carried her back to the halflings and dwarves. Her wet towel flopped to the ground by Old Fandri’s feet. She looked like a child compared to the enormous creature carrying her carefully in one sharp claw.



By the light from the half-shuttered inn windows, Fandri, Daeron and Raja could see that the beast was a great, grey dragon. Its body was four times as tall as a man and had a thick, scaly hide. Its wing span must have been about 40 foot or more and the flap of the huge wings brought large gusts of air swirling all around them. Emerald jewels gleamed from under the wings, as though they were embedded in the scales. The dragon’s head had many horns and a large mouth with sharp teeth. Its muzzle was long, with wide nostrils, issuing trails of smoke. 

The dragon’s large, yellow eyes looked at each of the fighters below intelligently and then it placed the Princess gently on the ground. Shari-Rose stared up at the great beast which had rescued her and was utterly speechless. She didn’t even have breath to scream in terror. The dragon flapped its gigantic wings and rose up into the sky. It circled the inn once and then flew off in the direction of the Vergai.



Excerpt from Elven Jewel by Kasper Beaumont. © 2013

About the author: 

Kasper J. Beaumont was born and raised in Australia and lives a quiet life with the family in a seaside town. Kasper has combined a love of fantasy and a penchant for travel in this trilogy. Kasper started to write on the urging of friends and family and enjoys watching readers become immersed in the magical world of Reloria.

Connect with Kasper:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |  

Buy the books:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords  

Featured Author: John Gaspard

John Gaspard is a filmmaker, writer, and blogger. His blog, Fast, Cheap Movie Thoughts, has been named “One of the 50 Best Blogs for Moviemakers.” He has also written multiple books on the subject of filmmaking, but put all that aside for a moment. He's here today to talk about his newest book, an Eli Marks mystery titled The Ambitious Card, part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection.

About the book:

The life of a magician isn’t all kiddie shows and card tricks. Sometimes it’s murder. Especially when magician Eli Marks very publicly debunks a famed psychic, and said psychic ends up dead.  The evidence, including a bloody King of Diamonds playing card (one from Eli’s own Ambitious Card routine), directs the police right to Eli.

As more psychics are slain, and more King cards rise to the top, Eli can’t escape suspicion. Things get really complicated when romance blooms with a beautiful psychic, and Eli discovers she’s the next target for murder, and he’s scheduled to die with her. Now Eli must use every trick he knows to keep them both alive and reveal the true killer.

Interview with John Gaspard:

John, how did you come up with the title The Ambitious Card?

As soon as I decided to write a mystery about a working magician, I discovered that I had way too many cool options for the title. Magic is filled with fun words and phrases, and the tricks alone could offer a full series of titles: The Balducci Force, The Hindu Shuffle, The Linking Rings, Six Card Repeat, The Double Lift, The French Drop … just lots and lots of great titles, just waiting for stories.

After doing a ton of research, I landed on The Ambitious Card. It sounded like a great title and was a trick that would lend itself to leaving clues after each murder because in the trick, the same card keeps turning up again and again. I thought that would be a fun clue that is found at each murder site.

How did you create the plot for this book?

It came to me in bits and pieces, while doing the research or just walking around. In researching psychics (all the victims in the story are psychics), I came across the term Askashic Records – that sounded like a record store to me, so I made one of the characters a psychic who runs a new-agey record store. The use of helium was important for the plot, so I created a character who is a children’s magician, knowing that he would have a need for helium for his balloons.

Once you stir all the ingredients together, the story starts to form itself and tell you the direction it wants to head.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?

The main character, Eli, is divorced and has moved back in with his Uncle Harry, an old magician who runs a magic store. Harry spends much of his free time hanging out at the bar next door with his performing cronies, old-time magicians and mentalists, who spend their days playing cards, reminiscing, and trading barbs. They call themselves The Minneapolis Mystics, although Eli’s aunt Alice dubbed them The Artful Codgers. They were great fun to write, because of their crusty banter and playful personalities.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

Many, many favorites, but one in particular: Eli is forced to perform a magic show for children (a notoriously tough audience) at the last minute, without the proper props and no time to really prepare. Uncle Harry steps in with a solution that is both lovely and magical and really helps to give Eli a glimpse at what an amazing performer his uncle had been.

Who are your favorite authors?

In the mystery genre, my favorite would be Lawrence Block – his Burglar books were a great inspiration for The Ambitious Card. Jasper Fforde is a favorite as well. For newer writers, I like Simon Rich; older favorites are James Thurber and Robert Benchley.


You get to decide who would read your audiobook. Who would you choose?

Neil Patrick Harris. I would love to see him do a movie version of the book as well. He brings just the right mix of sarcasm and sensitivity to his work – plus, he already knows how to do all the magic!

What’s one of your favorite quotes?

From Groucho Marx: “Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.”

I love that one too! Okay...spill it--what are you working on now?

I’m in the thick of the second book in the Eli Marks mystery series, The Bullet Catch, which picks up a couple months after the conclusion of The Ambitious Card and puts Eli and Uncle Harry into two murder investigations – one current and one from 25 years before.

Can't wait to hear more about it. Puleease come back!

Excerpt from The Ambitious Card

Prologue

Ask anyone and they’ll tell you I’m generally a positive person. But even I had to admit, this was a bad situation.

After the heavy wooden door closed behind us with an unforgiving finality, I’d come to a sudden insight—when it comes to being in the dark, there’s dark-dark and then there’s inside-a-cave dark.

We were definitely in the latter.

I’d never been in a place so dark, where the blackness of the space jostled up against us like an aggressive, surly crowd on a subway during rush hour.

My head was spinning from the lack of oxygen, and even though I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face, I was starting to see spots in front of my eyes. My lungs ached with each breath I took, the carbon monoxide that filled the cave a poor substitute for the oxygen I’d foolishly taken for granted until this relatively late point in life.

We shuffled and slogged through the inky darkness. My foot slipped on a loose rock, hurdling me forward, where a stalagmite—or is it a stalactite?—connected with my forehead, breaking my fall. My head was now covered with small scrapes and contusions, and in the darkness I couldn’t tell whether it was blood or sweat running down my face. I imagine it was a pretty even mixture of both.

Oh, and did I mention the bats? Well, I don’t know how I could have forgotten them.

The flurry of winged pests had been just as surprised to en-counter us as we had been to encounter them, leaving us the warm and sticky recipients of a rich shower of bat guano. It covered our hair and shoulders, a warm stream that slithered down my spine, making me wish I could actually remove my skin and send it out for cleaning. And as luck would have it, moments after the first battalion departed to points unknown, we were hit with yet a second wave of bat pee, the furry winged bastards slicing across the tops of our heads while their piercing screeches whizzed past our ears.

Even though I had more pressing concerns at the moment, I once again rebuked myself for getting us into this situation. It could have been avoided, I really think it could have.

Things would have turned out quite differently, I’m convinced, if I’d closed my act with something other than The Ambitious Card.

Had it been the cups and balls or the linking rings or a cut and restored rope or any of a hundred other tricks, I might be sitting home in front of the television right now happily munching popcorn, instead of asphyxiating in a cave while marinating in bat pee. But, as they say, hindsight is twenty/twenty, a lesson I appear to be learning and re-learning every day—even in the deadly pitch blackness of this stupid cave.

About the author:

In real life, John’s not a magician, but he has directed six low-budget features that cost very little and made even less – that’s no small trick. He’s also written multiple books on the subject of low-budget filmmaking. Ironically, they’ve made more than the films. His blog, “Fast, Cheap Movie Thoughts” has been named “One of the 50 Best Blogs for Moviemakers” and “One of The 100 Best Blogs For Film and Theater Students.” He’s also written for TV and the stage. John lives in Minnesota and shares his home with his lovely wife, several dogs, a few cats and a handful of pet allergies.

Connect with John:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

Buy the book: 
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Henery Press

Other books by John Gaspard

Featured Author: Andrea Baker

Tess is back today to talk to Leah Clinton from Andrea Baker's paranormal romance, Worlds Apart: Leah, published by Taylor Street Books.   

About the book:

Nightmares are just dreams, aren’t they? They cannot hurt you. They are just your mind playing tricks...

Or are they?



Leah knows that her mother died in a car accident when Leah was small and that her father, who used to be the gentlest dad in the world, has  become increasingly controlling and occasionally violent.



She also knows  that her recurring dreams are telling her something more about how and why her  mother died, and why her dad turned nasty, but they are becoming progressively more disturbing and confusing.



When Leah meets Ben, she is excited to  have a friend she can confide in and have fun with, but is he what he  seems?



The voice of Leah’s mother repeatedly tells her to rely on her instincts, but when Leah is run over in a freak accident and Ben’s family take over her welfare, are they protecting her or using her?



And why would anyone, good or evil, bother with an ordinary girl just about to go to university?

About the character:

Leah’s mother died when she was just fourteen, in a horrendous car accident. Since then her father has become more and more possessive over her, being paranoid about any boyfriends and, most recently, moving them both to Kenilworth so that she can stay at home rather than going away to University. Leah resents this a little, because she had always planned to go away to university with her best friend, Jen.

Leah doesn’t have much self-confidence; her father’s bizarre behavior and bad temper, plus a bad experience with a boyfriend have knocked that even further, so she is quite vulnerable and tends to keep to herself in order to avoid being made to look a fool.  Highly intelligent, she spends her time reading, listening to music, chatting to Jen over the Internet, and exploring the ruined castle in her new hometown.

There’s a lot more to Leah than we see in this first book, but she needs to experience what happens in order to make her the person she becomes. To a certain extent, because of having lost her mother at such a young age, she’s a little naïve when it comes to life, but that soon disappears as the series unfolds!

Tess talks to Leah Clinton:

Leah, how did you first meet Andrea?

I’ve known her for a few years now, although it took me a while to get her to recognize me and really listen. I think she thought she was going mad to start with, listening to my voice in her head all the time – but then again, she might be right...

Want to dish about her?

That wouldn’t be fair, because I still need her to finish my story...oh, go on then... (“DON’T YOU DARE!” shouts Andrea from the kitchen.) She’s pretty normal really, with a wicked sense of humor when you really know her. She’s quite shy though, and REALLY busy all the time!

Did you ever think that your life would end up being in a book?

No, not really, and it’s odd to think that people can read all about me, and think they know me simply because of what they have read so far.

Your life is like an open book, right? LOL. Ahem. Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

My favorite scene – that has to be some of the ones with Ben, and it’s hard to pick just one...

Did you have a hard time convincing Andrea to write any particular scenes for you?

Yes, when she was writing about my nightmares. Not so much the writing of them, but asking me about them, and trying to get them right. I think she was worried she’d upset me. Now that I know what they really were though, they don’t affect me like they did back then.

What do you like to do when you're not entertaining a reader?

I go back and tell Andrea a little more. This last few months, since the book came out, it’s been harder to find the time to tell her the rest – matching my time with hers has been a bit of a problem, but we’re almost through the second book now, thankfully. 

If you could rewrite anything in your book, what would it be?

I’d like to go into more depth at the end, but then that all appears in book two, so would it have spoiled it? That’s a really hard question to be honest – I think my readers need to know the rest of the story, but it was too long for a single book, so knowing where to end one, and start the other was hard.

Tell the truth. What do you think of your fellow characters?

I don’t think anyone needs me to describe how I feel about Ben, so let’s leave that one to the side, shall we?
Well, if you insist...
Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, Ben’s parents. I know they looked after me after the crash, and Eloise helped me find the truth, but I really struggle with the way they treated Ben and I, and acted as though we were doing something wrong. I still don’t think I’ve seen the true them, only what they want me to see, and I can’t stand people that hide behind things.

Me either. The stories I could tell you about...oh. Sorry. This is your interview. Please continue!
As for the others, well I could get Andrea to write another book on that front, so I’ll leave it there for now.

Do have any secret aspirations that Andrea doesn’t know about?

Oh yes, there are a few things that Andrea doesn’t yet know, and I think they might just surprise everyone. If I let them slip though, the story won’t come out right, so I’m keeping her in suspense!

And us too! Hmmm...I'm thinking you're very mysterious. What impression do you make on people when they first meet you?

People think I’m a bit strange I suppose – I’m quite quiet, and after a bad experience in Clifford, where I grew up, I tend to avoid large crowds so that I can’t make a fool of myself. So it’s hard to get to know people really.

How about after they've known you for a while?

Once they know me, and I trust them, they usually quite like me  -  I’ve got a wicked sense of humor, although it’s hard for people to see that in this story, and I like all the things that most girls my age like. I’m quite intelligent though, and sometimes people don’t like that.



What's the worst thing that's happened in your life?

That’s got to be Mom dying, going out on a normal day, being cross with her because I couldn’t get what I wanted, just a normal day, at first...

Tell us about your best friend.

Jen’s fantastic – she’s everything I’m not. Lively, bubbly, and outgoing, you can always rely on her to know what it going on, and who is involved. She’s also beautiful – long chestnut brown hair that seems to shimmer in the sunlight, and the most beautiful blue-green eyes, her appearance masks how smart she is though.



How do you feel about your life right now?

My life is...interesting right now.

What, if anything, would you like to change?

I love interacting with my readers, and seeing what they make of my story, how they see things as they read what Andrea has written. There’s a lot of other stuff going on though, that if I told you, would both ruin the story for you in future, but also you probably wouldn’t believe!

What do you like best about Andrea's writing style do you like best?
I love how she understands me – how she’s written the book almost as though I were telling her direct, and she gets how I was feeling at that time.

If your story were a movie, who would play you?

That’s a really hard question, as they’re all so much prettier than me! It needs to be someone around my own age, so she’d need to be under 25, really. I’m only 19 at the start of the book, but that was a couple of years ago now. If it were an English actress, the first one that springs to mind that fits would be Emma Watson, but I’m probably too boring for her to be interested in playing me!

Describe the town where you live.

Kenilworth is quaintly British – it’s quite an old town in many ways, and there’s the Castle at one end (with all the magic that goes with it), and Abbey fields, with the swimming pool, tennis courts and remains of the old Abbey at the other. There’s a lot of history there, and not too much to do for anyone our age, but my university is only a couple of miles away, so you don’t have to go too far!

So you and Andrea are writing a sequel?

I think I’ve already given that one away! Yes, we’re working on a sequel as we speak, and I’m trying to convince her to write more – but I guess that depends on how my surprises work out...

Good luck, then, and let me know when the next book is out!

About the author:

I am pretty ordinary really - daughter, wife, and mother to a wonderful little girl. I am fortunate to live in the beautiful English county of Warwickshire, where my first book is based.

Worlds Apart is a series of romantic fantasy books, the first of which, entitled Leah, was released on October 11th 2012.

The first thirty thousand words were written within a matter of weeks. The idea for Leah had been running around my mind for several months, in pieces, but I couldn't find a way of bringing them together. Then one day I was driving home from work through the lovely little town of Kenilworth, in Warwickshire, England. It was stormy, and as I drove down Castle Road, lightning lit up the Castle. It was a tremendous sight, and suddenly all the pieces fell together.

The rest, as the saying goes, is history.


Connect with Andrea:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Book Facebook Page | Twitter | Amazon Kindle


email Andrea: rosewall15@sky.com

Featured Author: Brandi Salazar

Brandi Salazar, author of the YA paranormal romance, Addicted to Magic, is here today. Brandi is a writer, a mother, a student and a blogger. How does she do it all?

About the book:

Addicted To Magic is the first book in a humor filled, witchy series.

Witt and Romance--Together they can overcome anything...

Jessica Warren comes from a long line of witches. At the age of eighteen her ability to wield magic will intensify and she will be welcomed into the fold with open arms. That is, until she she risks it all.

Magic isn't something to be taken lightly. With each spell cast the user suffers dangerous after effects that carry the potential of destroying their life. After her parent's divorce, Jessica begins abusing her powers, but she really doesn't think she's doing anything wrong--it's everyone else that has a problem.

When her best friend, Amber, informs her that she had a vision of Jessica's mother dying in a car accident, a victim of her own abuse of magic, Jessica is in a race against time to save her mother. Her life is only complicated further when a boy catches her attention and she has to not only save the day, but keep all of her secrets hidden.  

Book 2-- Crossfire-- Coming Summer 2013!

Brandi, you're a prolific writer--what do you like best about it?

I love creating new worlds and lives. I especially enjoy getting to know new people. (Yes, I am fully aware that they are not real.)

They're not? Dang. What’s your least favorite thing?

My least favorite thing is how long it takes to finish writing a book. I wish I could just pull out all the ideas in my head and have them be finished, but it’s a process. I guess that’s why it’s called a labor of love.

I suppose so. How did you come up with the title of your book?

Well, it wasn’t too difficult, actually. Jessica is a witch, and she is very clearly addicted to using her magic. It seemed fitting.

Do you have another job outside of writing?

Yes. I am a wife and a mother, which, I have heard, is like having two full time jobs. Considering the amount of laundry I do in a day, I agree!

I agree too. And it's also the hardest job on the planet.

I am also a full time university student studying to become an editor.

And you write? Wow. Do you sleep? How did you create the plot for this book?

This is one of my earlier books, and my method had since changed, but with Addicted to Magic, I just opened a document with the intent to write...something, and the first chapter just came out. After that, it was fairly simple to shape a story around it.

Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write?

I do a little of everything. Sometimes (okay, most times) I think of a conversation or a situation while doing something completely mundane, and I write it down. At that moment, I am writing by the seat of my pants and it is the characters that are driving me. From there, I can usually pour out a chapter or two, or more depending on the day. An outline usually follows as soon as the words stop flowing easily, which gets me over the hump.

Did you have any say in your cover art?

As an indie writer, I have complete say over every aspect of my books. I search out the kind of photo I want, and I create the cover myself. It’s an incredible process that I have learned so much from. I really love that I am able to channel my creativity beyond the pages of the book.

Have you ever bought any books just for the cover? 

I have bought so many books based on the cover alone.

Did you enjoy them?

Sometimes they are a hit, sometimes a miss, but it’s always worth taking the risk. You never know what you will find!

Like a box of chocolates. Do you have imaginary friends? When do they talk to you? Do they tell you what to write or do you poke them with a Q-tip?

If by imaginary friend you mean something like Drop Dead Fred, no, I don’t have any. But, I guess you could consider my characters my imaginary friends. There are times that they drop in for a short visit, and sometimes they stay awhile. Once in a while they bring a few friends, and let me tell you, when they do, they can get pretty rowdy. Then there are those times when we have a falling out and they refuse to speak to me, so something bigger than a Q-tip is required to poke and prod them with, but eventually, they come around.

You're right. I meant your characters as imaginary friends. And while we're on the subject of characters, do you have a favorite one?
I’ll start by saying that I love all of my characters. They are all unique and charming in their own way, but if I had to choose, it would be Behr from A Warrior’s Betrayal. He’s the gentle giant of the group with a big heart and smart mouth. One day, I will give him his happy ending. Maybe.

When you start a new book, do you know what the entire cast will be?

No, never. I am virtually clueless at the start of a book. I know only the next line. Each character makes an appearance as it develops, so in a way, they decide what the story is going to be and where it is headed. I am just lucky enough to be along for the ride.

That's the best kind of ride. Are you like any of your characters?

All of my characters share bits and pieces of me.

How so?

Some of them are adventurous; others are shy, witty, demanding, and quick to anger, loving, supportive, funny, adoring, confident, and insecure. They run the full gamut, but they are all me in some way or another.

With which of your characters would you most like to be stuck on a deserted island?
Goodness. None of them? They have so many issues. I don’t know that we could cohabitate for any length of time without doing each other bodily harm. Assuming that we did get stranded together, I would choose Godrick from Faerie Tales to be my island partner. He’s gorgeous and attentive and pretty close to perfect. Also, his clothes are riddled with all kinds of pins and chains and such. I’m pretty sure we could pull a MacGyver and live like kings while we waited to be rescued.

Which author would you most like to invite to dinner, and what would you fix him. Or her?

J.R. Ward would definitely be my dream guest. Since I don’t have any doggen on hand, though, I would bake up a nice lasagna and a peach cobbler (I am assuming she likes peaches considering her many references to them.)

How do you handle criticism of your work?
I curl into a fetal position and cry for days. Thankfully, my readers have been blessedly kind, and I have only experienced this a couple times. In those instances, despite the initial sting, I have taken their words into serious consideration and made adjustments accordingly. I like to listen to my readers, and I like to give them what they want, within reason and where appropriate. I still write the way I want to write, but I have learned that sometimes readers see something that I might have overlooked. I look at them as a tool to help me improve as a writer.


Do you have a routine for writing? Do you work better at night, in the afternoon, or in the morning?

My routine has changed over time and I adapt it according to what is happening in my life. Currently, I get up before the sun rises to write. I find I am better able to concentrate when I don’t have to think about all the other things I have yet to do that day.

Is there anything in particular that you do to help the writing flow?

I do a few things to help keep the words flowing. I talk to my husband, and he helps formulate ideas. I have a playlist that I add to almost constantly, but sometimes I end up just singing along, so that doesn’t always help as much as I wish it would. What I found works best is cleaning. The moment I pick up a broom, conversations begin. It’s like being at the horse races when the gun goes off.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I read. It’s the perfect opportunity to not only escape into another reality, but to gather more ideas and learn more techniques.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Scotland. I think the mental picture that one word calls forth is explanation enough.

What are you working on now?

I am currently working to finish up That First Kiss, which is a book written under a pen name and should be out late spring. After that, I plan to get working on finishing up Crossfire, the second novel in the Addicted to Magic series.


Cool. Come back and tell us more when they're published. And thanks for being here. 

Brandi turned the tables and interviewed me on her blog. Go here if you'd like to read it.

Addicted to Magic excerpt

"What are you doing at this party? Last time I checked, you were still in high school. And what is this?” He snatched my cup from my hand, studied it, and took a sip. “You’re drinking alcohol, too?”

My eyes went wide with shock. “What? No! That’s not mine.”

“Not yours, huh?” he asked speculatively.

“Well, it’s mine, but I haven’t actually drank any,” I backpedaled. “This looks bad, I know, but I assure you, I have not been drinking tonight.” Lies, all lies, my brain shouted.

This was so bad. Not only had I not wanted to be here, but now I had been caught too. And if my parents ever found out they’d...they’d what? They’d do precisely nothing, except maybe throw me into another rehab.

“I have a hard time believing that,” Carmen said, placing both of our drinks on the mantle.

Knowing that I really had nothing to worry about besides soiling someone else’s own interpretation of me, which I could give a hoot about, I raised my chin in defiance.

“And I am having a hard time finding a reason for why I should be explaining myself to you. Have a good one, chico.”

Wait. Was that the right word? Oh well, couldn’t turn back now. Patting him on the arm, I turned and walked away.

“Jess,” Carmen said, keeping pace as I cut a swath through the crowd, and in the complete opposite direction as Amber. “Answer one question for me.”

I stopped and turned to face him. He stared down at me, then reached a hand out and touched my shoulder, lazily sliding his palm down my arm. I swallowed hard, feeling butterflies suddenly take flight in my stomach. What was happening here?

He watched his own movement and I felt his grip tighten. When his eyes lifted back to mine all I could see was a knowing, burning anger residing behind those brown orbs.

I tamped down the fear that tried to bubble up, and yanked my arm free, becoming a little angry myself. “What is it, Carmen. I don’t have all day,” I snapped.

He matched my glare. “If you’re here, then where is my sister?”

Crap.

My first thought was that he was too smart for his own good. My second, that me and Amber were practically joined at the hip. It could only be expected that he would come to that conclusion. I rested a little easier knowing this.

I shrugged. “Home? How am I supposed to know? I haven’t gotten around to attaching the GPS to her yet.” I strode through the house and out the back door, coming out at the pool again. Not exactly where I had intended, but I had to keep Carmen as far away from Amber as possible.

“Yeah, do I have stupid stamped on my forehead somewhere?”

I glanced at his forehead. “No, looks more like loser, but I forgot my glasses."

About the author:

Brandi resides in Ohio as a devoted wife and mother of three beautiful children. She has many passions in life, writing being one. Unlike a lot of writers, Brandi doesn't see this as a job, but as a passion, and it comes naturally to her. Throughout her life she has played with it, writing quirky poems and short stories bordering on the bizarre, which no doubt reflects her self-proclaimed "weird" personality, but only over the last three years has she really focused on finding her voice.

Writing is an outlet. It's what offers relief when she is overflowing with creative juices. It is what keeps her company on a quiet night. And, as all writer's can relate, it is what keeps her up far too late when she should be snuggled into her pillow.
As of now, Brandi has quite a few projects she is working on, all unique in their own way, but all with an element of fantasy. A perfectionist at heart, she constantly strives to make each work better than the last. Here's to hoping you enjoy her work because there is more to come.

Connect with Brandi:
Website / Blog /Facebook page / Goodreads / Twitter / Amazon