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Interview with Susan Stec #2

10/27/2013

Halloween is almost here and so my interviews with authors of paranormal fiction are drawing to a close. My last guest is Susan Stec, author of THE GRATEFUL UNDEAD SERIES. Don't forget to enter her giveaway at the end of the interview. Thanks for joining me again, Susan!

What is the most ridiculous Halloween costume you’ve ever worn?

A fanged vampire; black-cloak, red silk dress and stilettos, of course—kind of ironic, since I ended up writing
about bumbling, zany, day-walking, controlling, bitchy immortals with totally no respect for vampire legend.

If your protagonist had to wear a Halloween costume, what would she choose to where and
why?

She'd probably pick something that would totally piss off Dorius, her boss, the bastard.

How closely did you follow traditional vampire legends when setting up the vampire world in your
books?

Not closely. I totally butchered myth and legend, peppering my dark side with a fair share of humor. Not that I don't know the legend behind the immortal ones, I've been wrapped up in vampires, werewolves, fae, demons, and anything fantasy for like forever. But with The Grateful Undead I wanted to appeal to new adults and older adults with
stupidity, kickass humor, and crazy romance instead of all the cloak and fang stuff.

Tell us about your latest book in the series in 25 words or less.

Sh-yeah, right. You know I'M A WORDY WITCH! Besides, I'd have to give you a short blurb from each book to help you understand the humor in book four. Soooorrrry....

In book one, THEY'RE SO VEIN, the women in the Stech family went from dentures to fangs, Depends
to thongs, Dr. Scholl's® to stilettos, and bumbled their way into an undead
lifetime of Critter Control when one of them inadvertently turned a raccoon into
a vampoon.

GATOR BAITIN' begins with the team being dispatched to destroy a vamp-gator wreaking havoc at

Gatorland in Orlando, only to get sidetracked by a serial killer investigation, a vamp-bull at a rodeo in Kissimmee, and a colorful demon named Rafael. Between bronco busting, dragon riding, Jesus-freak
chasing, gator hunting, demon summoning and dead bodies popping up everywhere, Susan's finding it hard to fit in a little romp time.

Susan's sister is in one hell of a mess (literally); confined to servitude with the demon, Rafael. When Rafael gifts JoAnn with an Earth-to-Abyss cellphone so she can communicate with her sister, Susan soon finds out that JoAnn has gone from servitude to concubine, and no longer wishes to come home. Only problem is that JoAnn really loves her new cell phone and the frequent calls--time really moves
like Hell in the Abyss--are driving Marcus and Susan batty! In their attempt to retrieve JoAnn, THE GRATEFUL UNDEAD team ultimately finds themselves knee-deep in vamp critters, demons,
rogues, and a host of new and colorful characters, when the mission takes them from their home in Florida to the streets of New Orleans.

COFFIN FIT (book four) The Demon Rafael has cursed every immortal woman in the family; they're aging and their immortal powers are fading. JoAnn is absolutely sure it is not her ex, and sets out to prove it. Did I mention that
Jeni and Paul are finally going to get together in this book? You know Susan is gonna be pissed. Oh, yeah, and one of JoAnn's little fanged-critter-mistakes makes its way to Italy. Dorius is hell-bent on fixing that, I tell you.

THIS or THAT

Twilight or True Blood?

Definitely True Blood

Vampires or werewolves?

Ohhh, hard one. I so love them both. Man...
Werewolves, I guess.

Garlic or crucifix?

Crucifix

Black cat or flying bat?

Black cat – BIG black cat.

Where can we find out more about your books?

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=susan+stec&x=14&y=23
http://thegratefulundead.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/GratefulUndead
https://twitter.com/Suesan0814
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4556170.Susan_Stec

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Interview with January Bain

10/24/2013

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My interviews with authors of paranormal fiction continue here on my blog. Today I’ve asked January Bain, author of the Forever Series of books to be my guest. Thanks for being here, January!

Do you have any fun Halloween traditions in your family?

Sure! Growing up I was the oldest of five (only girl) and got to take around my younger brothers. I remember the earthy odor of the fall planting just out of the ground and the delicious carpet of fall leaves crunching beneath our feet as we hugged our pillow cases to our chests as we made our rounds. Safety was never a talked about factor in whatever town we lived in at the time. I got the pleasure and the heartbreak of being moved around lots as a child.

How would your main character celebrate Halloween?

My newest character, Trixie Lee Bútton loves Halloween! She’s a half-angel, all-minx southern woman and has recently fallen for a full-blooded werewolf. This dynamo is an eclectic mix of southern charm and spunk and follows her heart with tremendous passion. She’d want to put on the party, though being mainly ostracized for her unusual gifts because they spook the neighbors, she’d be worried about anyone showing up. Her new family of Weres will certainly show up though and be the life of the party.

What type of research did you do for your latest novel?

I love love love research! Life is all about the learning. I tell students that all the time and I really do walk the talk.

Tell us about your latest book in 25 words or less.

Forever Angel is about finding your true self and your true love when you are physically turning into an angel!

THIS or THAT

Both!

Wooden Stake or Silver Bullet?

Silver Bullet just sounds way classier.

Mortal or Immortal?

Immortal, hands down.

Dr. Jekyl or Mr. Hyde?

Dr. Jekyl

Poltergeists or Apparitions?

Poltergeist, I can wreak more havoc that way!

Where can we find out more about your books?

www.ChampagneBooks.com and www.JanuaryBain.ca

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Interview with Olga Godim

10/20/2013

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Break out the garlic and crucifixes, the paranormal writers are visiting my blog this month! Today I’m interviewing Olga Godim, author of sword and sorcery fantasy Almost Adept (due out January 2014). Thanks for being here, Olga!

Thank you, Audra, for inviting me here.

From where did you draw inspiration for Almost Adept?

A writer’s imagination works in a mysterious way. This particular novel started for me, when I read Mercedes Lackey’s Magic’s Price – the final book of her trilogy about Vanyel, the last herald-mage of Valdemar. In the book, the hero dies in the end. I dislike such endings, so I started fantasizing: what if he didn’t die? What if… One thing led to another,
until Vaniel transformed into someone else entirely, relocated to my imaginary country of Varelia, had a wife and a daughter. Considering that in Lackey’s book he was gay, such a transformation was really drastic. He changed name, and his daughter became Eriale.

Strangely, when I started thinking about Eriale’s adventures, they came to me backwards. First, I wrote a story about her, when she was about 30 years old. This story exists on my computer as the first draft of a novel. I’m going to revise it soon. Then I wanted to see how she started on her magic path – and Almost Adept got written.

Tell us about Almost Adept in 25 words or less.

For Eriale, magic is a source of joy, until she is faced with a terrifying task: to hunt and destroy a power-hungry blood
mage.

Did Eriale ever pull any pranks as a kid?

Of course. She had her magical power since she was about three, and like any kid, she tested her abilities and her limits. She played with magic. Once she flooded the cellars of her parents’ manor. It was a mistake, of course, a slight miscalculation of applied magic, but she got grounded for a month. Another time, she made her mother’s ball gowns dance by themselves, and she danced with them. Her mother was frightened when she came home and found all
her gowns frolicking independently downstairs, partnering her nine-year-old daughter. Eriale’s father and mentor had to punish her repeatedly, until she finally learned the hard lesson: she couldn’t use her magic for pranks or
practical jokes – ABSOLUTELY NEVER!

But magic was her life, and she used it to solve problems. Sometimes, such solutions got out of hand. Her latest escapade with magic was why she had to leave home in a hurry in the beginning of the novel. A young nobleman she fancied herself in love with insulted and almost raped her, and in retaliation, she turned him into a muttonhead, literary. She transformed his head into a sheep’s head. She knew she misused her magic almost as soon as the spell took. She should’ve broken his nose instead, but magic was her instinctive response, and she lashed out in her pain and frustration. It was only for one week, but the aristocratic parent of the young man didn’t understand. They
screamed revenge. She had no choice but to flee.

What was Eriale’s most embarrassing moment?

She fell in love with a guy, but he didn’t seem to care for her. When she tailed him to see where he was going, after he’d spurned her advances, she ended up in front of a brothel. Despairing of ever having anyone to love her, she decided to follow him in. Maybe she could learn something useful from the whores, if the only man she ever loved preferred them to her? Her experience inside the brothel was rather embarrassing but extremely enlightening.

This or That – questions to the character, Eriale

What animal would you prefer as a familiar: a cat or a bat?

Neither. I’m not a pet person, besides I don’t have time to care for a pet. But I had a familiar once – a pony. It was an
accident.

Who is scarier for you: a vampire or a dragon?

I’m not afraid of any creature. With my power of an Adept, not much can hurt me. Besides, I don’t think vampires exist. I’ve never read about them in any magic research books. Dragons do exist, even though I’ve never seen one. They live on another continent and can’t cross the ocean, but sailors sometimes bring their scales or claws. Once they brought a mummified head of a dragon – it was disgusting. I’d like to see a living dragon at least once. They’re creatures of magic. I wonder what I can do with their magic.

What would you transform you worst enemy into: a frog or a swine?

I wouldn’t do that at all. I did something similar once, and it was the worst mistake of my life. Never again! I would embarrass him instead: make him speak exclusively the truth at a social gathering or make him oink like
a pig for several days whenever he tries to talk or something similar. Or drop him into a huge clump of nettles naked and let him find his way out.

You can transform one living being into another, it’s possible, but it’s a very complicated spell and a brutal one. It takes lots of power and lots of knowledge. You have to learn every detail of the anatomy of your original creature and the target creature. Otherwise, you’ll create a monster. And the overall masses of both creatures should be the same. You can’t turn a man into a frog. Where would the extra mass go? Unless you want a frog the size of a man. But there is another solution, if I wanted to be flashy. I could use a transportation spell. You know, find a frog in a nearby pond, transport the man there and the frog here: kind of a switcheroo. Done properly, it only takes a moment. For a bystander, it would look like a transformation, but it’s a trick, really.

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Interview & giveaway with J.A. Garland

10/16/2013

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With Halloween on the way, I’ve been interviewing authors of paranormal fiction here on my blog. Today, J.A. Garland, urban fantasy author of Instinct, Dysus Dreamer and The Mutatio Project, is my guest star. She is giving away a copy of her book, Dysus Dreamer to one lucky commenter - so be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win! Thanks for being here, J.A.!

What types of stories give you goose bumps?

Anything Stephen King writes. That man is a genius when it comes to spooking or downright horrifying readers.

Tell us about one of your spookiest (or most intense scenes) from your latest book. From where did you draw inspiration to write it?

Ouch, that’s a hard one to answer without giving away some of the twists… Let’s just say there was a particular scene, toward the end of Dysus Dreamer, where a certain person receives his comeuppance. I drew my inspiration for this intense exchange from every heated argument or fight (yeah, I was a bit of a tomboy); I’ve ever been involved in.

When you write, are you more of a planner or a pantser?

My first chapter is all pantser, after that, I’m a fairly dedicated plotter. Sometimes my characters like to shake things up a bit and fall for the wrong character, but mostly, they march when I say march.

Tell us about your latest book in 25 words or less.

"A powerful half-demon is kidnapped, bloodthirsty werewolves are on the rise, and a planet is dying. A demon warrior and Dark elf joining forces are the least of their worries."

THIS or THAT

Fangs or Claws?

Both (think werewolves)

Monsters or mummies?

Monsters

Twilight or True Blood?

True Blood

American Werewolf in London or Teen Wolf?

Teen Wolf (Must admit, I’m addicted to that series!)

Where can we learn more about your books?

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dysus-Dreamer-ebook/dp/B00DQH0F0O
Burst Books: http://burstbooks.ca/product.php?id_product=103
OmniLit: https://www.omnilit.com/product-dysusdreamer-1225458-234.html

Contact Links:
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6535314.J_A_Garland
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jagarlandurbanfantasyauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/J_A_Garland
Website: http://jagarland.blogspot.com
Tumblr: http://jagarland.tumblr.com
YouTube Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/user/JAGARLAND1/videos
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/garland2248/boards/

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Interview with Linda Rettstatt

10/13/2013

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Halloween is just around the corner, and to help get us in the mood I’m interviewing authors of paranormal fiction here on my blog. Today Linda Rettstatt, author of seventeen Women's   Fiction, Contemporary Romance and Paranormal novels and novellas, is my guest star.

Do you have any interesting Halloween memories to share with us?

Oh, yes. Of course, this was as an adult. My friends and I hosted a Halloween party in our A-frame cabin in the woods in Pennsylvania. The theme was The Hobbit. One of my friends dressed as Gandalf the Wizard, making his costume from a bed sheet and wearing a long, flowing white wig. Part of the plan for the evening was a candle light walk down through the woods to the small lake where we would tell stories. Unfortunately, one of the neighbors glimpsed a group of people led by a man in a white sheet and carrying flames and, well, interpreted the situation entirely the wrong way. A police car was dispatched because of reports that the KKK were rallying in this small, private mountain community. Even the police officer laughed when he saw us all in costume led by Gandalf in his sheet. He advised that my friend remove the sheet for the climb back up the hill to the cabin. Thank heavens we had decided against going door-to-door trick or treating!

Which of your characters is your favorite, and why?

Oh, I have so many characters that I've just fallen in love with. Rylee Morgan from Shooting Into the Sun is probably my very favorite, maybe because we share some qualities and quirks. But in my upcoming paranormal (a first for me), In The Spirit, my favorite character is Andrew McCabe--the ghost. Andrew is not your typical ghost. He's
a man on a mission and a man in love. Andrew is funny, sensitive, intelligent--and very dead.

Tell us about your latest book in 25 words or less.

Jessica Windsor escapes to a mountain cabin to cure writer's block. But a ghost enlists her help to gain vengeance and find his lost love.

THIS or THAT?

Sparkly vampires or scary vampires?

Sparkly vampires. If I have to be around vampires, they might as well be fabulous.

Ghosts or zombies?

Ghosts. They're more likely to be friendly.

Broomsticks or batwings?

Broomsticks. They make a  much easier get-away.

Wooden stakes or silver bullets?

Silver bullets (I wanted to be the Lone Ranger when I was a kid.)

Where can we find out more about your books?

My website: www.lindarettstatt.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Linda-Rettstatt-Writing-for-Women/142119167526

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Interview with D.L. Tabor

10/10/2013

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My interviews with authors of all things paranormal continue on my blog this month. Today D.L. Tabor, author of God of Burden: Epic’s Story and the soon to be released Amnesty Day, is my guest star. Thanks for being here, D.L.!

Did you ever tell ghost stories around the campfire growing up? Which scary story gave you the worst nightmares?

My father, without knowing, taught me the art of delivering a scary tale:
pausing at just the right spot; increasing the volume of the voice in just the right part; and making the listener feel just comfortable enough right before driving them to the brink of insanity.

The story that gave me the worst nightmares and made the hair on my neck stand up like the quills on a porcupine was Thump, Drag. Even though I have seen and heard multiple variations of the story, I have always felt that the version told to me, and the version I now tell my kids, has always been the most frightening.

The story begins with a group of boys scouts camping in the remote wilderness (I enjoy the isolation factor). The scout master mentions that he heard on the radio that the area, in which they are currently camping, was the site of the disappearance of a child not too long before they had arrived. Everyone that night sleeps lightly, sensitive to every sound pushing its way through the lining of the tents. A few hours after the boys had settled down and fallen asleep, several awaken to the slow and sluggish sound—thump…drag, thump…drag. The horrible noise makes its way around the tent and then gradually back into the woods. The next day they discover their scout master missing from his tent. The same horrible sound occurs for the next two nights in a row and two more scouts come up missing from their tents. The remaining boys decide the following day to form a search party, and they find an abandoned saw mill filled with numerous chopped up corpses. They hear the distinct sound of thump…drag, thump…drag and scream in horror to discover that it is the long lost child from the news: he has only one arm and has to drag himself to move forward. The boys run out of the saw mill and pick their way through the forest to the nearest town in order to alert the authorities. When arriving at
the saw mill, the police find a Nazi scientist who was completing his unfinished experiments from WWII. He admitted that he would let loose the one-armed boy at night around the campgrounds in order to distract the frightened campers and allow him to drug and kidnap another victim for his experiments.

Anyway, that is the summarized story and it always scared the living hell out of me and made it a little bit harder to sleep while camping.

How do you get inspired to write those intense, scary scenes?

I am truly inspired by the thought of someone’s reaction to a scary scene. I know it is unrealistic to expect someone to scream out loud while reading one of the scary short stories that I have written, but all I desire is that when they
place their book down on their dresser and shut the light off, they at least have to open their eyes once when they hear a noise and their heart beats just a little bit faster than normal. That, my fellow book enthusiasts, is inspiration
enough and would give me the greatest joy.

What type of parameters did you set for the magic elements in your book?

I normally don’t set any parameters, but sometimes I want the reader to have the thought that the magic they are reading about could possibly happen in real life. I really try to strive for a type of blurred lines between fiction and
nonfiction. An example of this in movies would be Phenomenon starring John Travolta. Throughout the movie he can move and control things with his mind. The dim-witted townsfolk are scared by him and believe that he had been
abducted by aliens. Eventually it is discovered that he has a tumor on his brain that makes him ultra-focused. I left that movie questioning the reality of it. It made me think that maybe that could happen in real life. And, that is what I try to achieve in my own writing.

Tell us about your book in 25 words or less.

Title: Amnesty Day (Coming Soon)

The year is 2022. United States population has reached one billion. Desperate for solutions, the Government legalizes murder during a one day period: Amnesty Day.

THIS or THAT

Angels or demons?

Demons

Historical setting or Modern setting?

Historical can really enhance a scary setting.

Tricks or treats?

Tricks

Bram Stoker or Stephanie Meyer?

Of course, Bram Stoker

Where can we find out more about your books?

You can visit our website at www.shedead.com
Come join me on Twitter @shedeadpress
God of Burden: Epic’s Story
http://www.amazon.com/God-Burden-Epics-Story-ebook/dp/B00CHQPJEM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380044553&sr=8-1&keywords=god+of+burden

Amnesty Day coming soon

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Interview with Celia Breslin #2

10/6/2013

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Break out the cauldrons and cobwebs, October is here and I’m interviewing authors of paranormal fiction. Today my guest is Celia Breslin, author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Thanks for stopping by again, Celia!

Hi Audra! Thanks for having me back for another visit. I like hanging at your blog. :-)

What’s your favorite scary movie of all time and why?

The Shining. It’s pretty much the creepiest movie ever. I think the fact I’d
read the novel before I saw the movie significantly enhanced its creep-factor for me. Nightmare on Elm Street is good, too. What a brain scrambler!

If they were to make your book into a movie, which actors would you like to play the lead roles and why?

Haven would be a fun movie. We’d need actors in their mid 20s for Carina and Alexander, so I’d love the following actors and actresses to show up for a casting call:
For Carina – Elena Satine, Lilly Collins, and Giulia Elettra Gorietti
For Alexander – Ian Somerhalder and Kellan Lutz

What do you do to gear yourself up to write a really intense scene?

I usually listen to music. For most fight scenes in Haven, I listened to The Prodigy’s Invaders Must Die. For all of Vampire Code, I listened to Front Line Assembly’s Echogenetic.

Tell us about your latest book, Vampire Code, in 25 words or less.

When a naughty newbie vampire injures Carina, her mentor and protector Jonas The Executioner must punish the offender and his maker. Code Breakers beware.

THIS or THAT

American Werewolf in London or Teen Wolf?

American Werewolf in London

Fangs or claws?

Fangs all the way!

Wooden stakes or silver bullets?

Silver bullets. Because they don’t kill my vampires!

Black cats or flying bats?

Black cats

Where can we find out more about your books?

Web site at http://www.celiabreslin.com/

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

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CeliaBreslin

Thanks, Audra!

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Interview with C. Lee Brown #2

10/4/2013

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Creepy critters are everywhere on my blog this month as I interview authors of the paranormal and fantastic. Today C. Lee Brown, author of Cable Hornman: The Bard Begins and Secret of the Druids is my guest. Thanks for stopping by again, Lee!

Thank you for the opportunity, Audra.

What, in your opinion, is the scariest mythical creature?

I think the Dragon is probably the most dangerous, but for just pure terror it has to be a Vampire. They get up close and personal. You’re still alive while they hold you mesmerized and suck the blood out of you.

What is it about them that creeps you out?

A Vampire is so insidious. First of all, they look like anyone else.
Secondly, a Vampire, which is already an undead creature, is extremely hard to stop. How do you kill something that is already dead? If you succeed, better be careful and not spill any blood on the ashes or it will come back. They embody all that is evil and unholy. I’m not a particularly religious person, but I even creep out at the thought that a Vampire can not only kill you, but also destroy your immortal soul by making you as evil as them.

If you had to run into one of your mythical critters in a dark alley, which would you choose, and why?

Well, if I’m going to buy the farm, I’d prefer to be killed with some class by a beautiful Drow Elf assassin, but a Werewolf in a dark alley might be interesting. If a Werewolf caught me alone in an alley, first thing I’d do is
take a mental inventory of what I have on me, checking for anything with silver. Like the Vampire, a Werewolf poses special problems if you want to kill or control them. The accepted lore says they have an extreme, even fatal, “allergy”
to anything made of silver. I think I’d stand a better chance of survival against a Werewolf than a Vampire.

Both of these are stock and trade monsters for the horror genre and favorites with the kiddies on Halloween. My daughter recently told me that we’re past the cute and cuddly costumes with my ten year old grandson. He wants blood and gore.

Although I have both Vampires and Werewolves in my world of Pearl, I use Werewolves and shape-shifters more frequently in the stories than Vampires. There is currently only one Vampire residing in Sandahl. I don’t really accept
the Vampire as belonging in the Fantasy genre, but somehow my mind can justify a Werewolf. Does that make sense? The new book I’m working on, Secret of the Druids, has a Werewolf, several shape-shifters that turn into wolves and a
host of Dire wolves.

Tell us a little about your writing process.

Some of my material gets made up on the spot as I write, but most of it is part of a plan laid out in my mind some time ago. I have transcribed an outline for my main character, Cable Hornman, and it takes him from his mid-teens to his
mid-thirties. If I’m around long enough, I plan to do at least three sets of three novels each, just on Cable Hornman. These will be part of the “Tales of the Bard” series. Each book can stand alone, but each trilogy will take the
reader on an epic adventure with Cable.

I love the fantasy epic. Tales like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones are like pie ala mode to me. I gobble them up. I’d like to leave epic adventures as a legacy for my family, especially the grandkids.

I draw on everything when I write. Some of the plots and scenes come right out of role-playing games I had with my kids back in the 80’s. I throw in more details by tracking things like the etymology of names I use, ideas I get at
bedtime (almost every night) and feedback from other writers, like you, Audra.

For the manuscript on Secret of the Druids, I researched several things. Recent work involved the study of crows, their various names, new discoveries about their behavior and their amazing intelligence. Crow names are used by the Druids in my story. Of course wolves play a major role in this book too and I had to do some research there.

I’ve also done an anthology set in my fantasy world, A Visitor to Sandahl, and some of the material those writers came up with has affected the course of Cable’s adventures. A sequel anthology I’m currently working up, Return to Sandahl, has a few new writers sending characters across Methanasia and their stories will no doubt change the course of events as well.

THIS or THAT

Tricks or Treats?

Are the tricks more fun? Of course they are, even in literature. Who cares about someone getting apple pie. (or candy) Give them a tale about an Imp that throws a wrench in the power plant’s generator and see what kind of silly
situations develop in the dark. That’s for me. I loved the movie Gremlins.

Monsters or Mummies?

Give me a big ole monster with a maw full of stained fangs. Not some stumblebum Frankenstein monster, but something mutated by radiation or fallen to Earth from a world far away in another galaxy. (Sci-fi meets horror) I know Brendan Fraser made a lot of money being chased by and chasing mummies, but for me it’s all tongue in cheek when you talk about mummies. Let’s pull off their cloth wrapping so they turn to dust and move on, shall we?

Twilight or True Blood?

I know this is going to upset some folks, especially folks (ladies) under thirty, but I don’t care for either of those above. Even the low-budget Hammer productions with Christopher Lee seem better. These new age Vampire series are
too touchy feely for my way of thinking. It’s all about the sensitivities of the female character and whether she can find true love with a member of the undead. Maybe I’m just being a crass male, but Humbug! Give me a good old Bram Stoker type Vampire story. A Vampire is evil first, last and always or he just isn’t scary. And a real Vampire doesn’t go around protecting girls from getting hit by a car.

Wolves or Vampires?

I guess I’ve already made the commitment to wolves. Your basic wild wolf is a noble predator and scavenger. Horror has taken this much maligned animal and given it super powers as the beast called Werewolf. Unlike the Vampire, who I believe shouldn’t display any emotions other than anger or rage, the Werewolf changes back and forth from beast to a normal human, Therefore it is logical that the creature would at times show empathy or possibly even love for a fellow
being. He’s not really evil, just chemically challenged. Unless there is a full moon out, they might even make a good companion on a date.

Tell us about your latest book in 25 words or less.

Secret of the Druids involves a Bard, a wizard, a dragon, a molested Princess, Dire riding wild men, Lupe, a werewolf and a medieval battle.

Where can we find out more about your books?

Here are my works:

Tales of the Bard series:

Cable Hornman: The Bard Begins is Book 1 in the Tales of the Bard series, published by Createspace and available in Kindle at Amazon, plus soft cover, and also at Barnes & Noble.

Cable Hornman in The Secret of the Druids is a sequel, Book 2, in the Tales of the Bard series, coming soon on Kindle.

Troubadour Tales:

The Brawl a short story in A Visitor to Sandahl, first of the Troubadour Tales, an anthology of short stories by
various writers set in the same world as Cable Hornman’s Tales of the Bard, published by Createspace and available in Kindle at Amazon, or soft cover, and also at Barnes & Noble. Compiled and edited by C Lee Brown.

Cliffhanger, a Cable Hornman novella, and The Bag, a short story, both in Return to Sandahl, an anthology of short stories containing more Troubadour Tales by various writers set in the vicinity of Sandahl on the world of Pearl. Compiled and edited by C Lee Brown.

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Interview with Jane Toombs

10/1/2013

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October is the month for Halloween and things that go bump in the night, so I’m interviewing authors of paranormal fiction. Today my guest is Jane Toombs, author of Taken In and Tule Witch. Thanks for being here, Jane!

What was your favorite Halloween treat to find in your trick or treat bag?

Butterfinger bar.

What types of treats would your main character hand out to trick or treaters?

Being a Special Op he's into fitness, so probably apples.

Tell us a little about what kind of research you did for your novel.

I researched ghost lore.

What is it about the paranormal that interests you?

    I guess it’s really more than an interest--paranormal actually has had a grip on me ever since I found that small volume of E.A. Poe in my folks’ bookcase with print so tiny I doubt if I could read it now. But I was nine and my eyesight was perfect at the time.
    I already had been told I could read anything in the bookcase, so I opened the little black book and came face to face with one of the masters of the paranormal. I was immediately entranced by his words. Sentences like: "The
ghoul-haunted woodland of Weir," touched a chord inside me that hadn’t been activated before. The book held a mixture of his poems and short stories and I devoured them all.
   Not until, as a teenager, I discovered A. Merritt and his "Burn, Witch, Burn" and "Creep, Shadow, Creep," did I realize that some authors wrote nothing but paranormal. They called what he wrote fantasy and it was hard to find during that time, especially in the small town I lived in, but I persisted.
     Finally fantasy came into its own, and I enjoyed it, but sometimes it wasn’t dark enough for me. I began trying to write my own, but was interrupted by WWII and becoming a Cadet Nurse.
    Not until I was much older did it occur to me to wonder why I liked the darkness of Poe. I had a perfectly normal, happy childhood in a small town. I finally decided it was the idea of weirdness that appealed to me. Many things can be unusual, but I liked them darkly unusual. At last I began to try to write paranormal stories and found it was harder than I thought.
     If any of you pick up Tule Witch--my very first published book, a gothic, when Sanhaim re-releases it as an ebook on October 15 in their Retro line, you’ll see the darkness that runs through the story. All my early gothics had paranormal elements, though I didn’t write a horror story until Hugger Doll.
     I’m now 86 and still enjoy reading and writing about the dark paths of life.

Tell us about your latest book in 25 words or less.

I'm working on "Where There's Smoke" the second bookin my paranormal ghost trilogy called Dagon House. The first book, Taken In, is out now: Heroine witnesses a murder and flees from New York City into the Adirondacks. Murderer pursues her. Special Op reaches her first. Involved in an accident at night, they take refuge in Dagon House, which is haunted. . .

THIS or THAT

Ghosts or zombies?

Ghosts. Never saw or felt one, though.

Broomstick or batwings?

I like the idea of witches and bats carry rabies, so broomstick.

Belle or Sukie?

Neither.

Wooden stakes or silver bullets?

Silver bullets.

Where can we find out more about your books?

At my website: www.JaneToombs.com

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