Michelle M. Pillow's Blog, page 42
June 4, 2015
Viola Rivard, Author Interview
Viola Rivard, Author Spotlight
By Michelle M. Pillow, www.MichellePillow.com
Paranormal Romance Author, Viola Rivard, is a fan of all things paranormal. She grew up in a very rural part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where fact and superstition is often indiscernible. She spent hours fantasizing about running away into the forest and living among wolves and has now incorporated that into her fiction writing.
Her newest shifter romance release, Running With Alphas: Choices, can be purchased exclusively at Amazon.com in ebook.
Q: When world building the Running With Alphas series, did you base your story off of known myths?
Rivard: In my books, I have the modern United States as we know them, but take the mountain ranges and turn them into a haven for werewolves and shifters, where they live in their own, unique societies. It’s just cool to imagine that there could be an alternate world secretly existing right alongside the world you know.
Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?
Rivard: I’m a bit of a skeptic, but I try to keep an open mind. I’ve never flat-out seen anything I couldn’t rationalize logically, but I have seen some pretty weird things and gotten a lot of bad vibes over my years of snooping around in places I shouldn’t go.
Q: What kind of paranormal creatures do you never want to meet?
Rivard: I never want to meet a ghost. Being a skeptic is the luxury of those who have never had a ghostly encounter. I’d hate to come face to face with one. I’d have to sleep with the lights on for the rest of my life!
Q: Are you a paranormal investigator?
Rivard: YES! My husband and I live in Rhode Island, which was (at least 10 years ago) considered the vampire capitol of America. We love sneaking around in Exeter after dark.
Q: What myths and legends have you investigated?
Rivard: We’ve investigated a few, but my favorite (hands down) is the Ladd Center.
The Ladd Center is essentially an abandoned mental asylum. Its official name was the Rhode Island School for the Feeble Minded, and thousands of mentally handicapped citizens of the state spent the majority of their lives confined behind its walls. Unfortunately, many of the people sent there over its 86 years of operation, were sentenced under false pretenses as well. The living conditions were abhorrent and some residents were even forced to undergo sterilizations. Basically, it was a horrible, horrible place.
I’ve only been there once (Note to Readers: trespassing there is illegal) and I never want to go back. I don’t spook easily, but man, that place gave me the chills. A lot of the equipment is still there, you can even lie down on the morgue trays (yes, we did). The creepiest things of all are the patient rooms. In some rooms, you will just find things stacked on top of one another in improbable ways. In one room, we saw a table with a bed frame on it. On top of the bed frame was a chair, and on top of that was a fork. Weirrrrrrd!
Q: Do you have any paranormal theories?
Rivard: Sort of! I have some thoughts on the legend of Mercy Brown. For those who don’t know, the story of Mercy Brown is one of the most well-documented vampire legends. Back in the seventeenth century, Rhode Islanders used to believe that the deceased could come back as vampires to feed on the blood of their family members.
Mercy Brown was a nineteen-year-old girl who, like her mother and sister before her, died of consumption (aka tuberculosis). The townspeople didn’t really understand TB in those days, and many thought the disease was caused by vampires. When Mercy Brown’s brother Edwin contracted TB, the townspeople believed that one of the dead Brown women had caused his illness. They exhumed the bodies of Mercy’s mother and sister, finding them decomposed, but when they exhumed Mercy’s body, they found it to be almost perfectly preserved. Assuming she was the vampire, they cut out her heart and burned it, mixing the ashes in a drink, which they gave to Edwin in hopes of curing him. He died a few months later.
It’s a very creepy story, though mostly creepy because the townspeople were so crazy. Mercy’s body was preserved so well because she was kept in a crypt during winter and the cold weather prevented her body from decomposing. I believe that Mercy Brown was just an unfortunate victim of old-time superstition. That said, I challenge you to go in the graveyard that has her body after dark. I’m not sure what’s there, but good God, that old graveyard place is SCARY.
Thank you for joining us!
To learn more about Viola Rivard and her books, visit www.violarivard.com
The post Viola Rivard, Author Interview appeared first on Pillow Talk Blog.
May 13, 2015
Newsletter
Includes a bonus look from LOVE POTIONS which gives a sneak peak into SPELLBOUND, Iain’s Story, and a Barbarian Prince extended except with more to come!
Want to know when Michelle releases a new book? Has a sale? Wants to tell you secrets…well, news anyway?
Look no further! Sign up now!
http://michellepillow.com/newslettersignup/
The post Newsletter appeared first on Pillow Talk Blog.
Hot Dragon Shifter Romance Books!
Two NY TIMES & USA TODAY Bestselling Authors have come together to bring the sexy back to modern day dragon shifter romances.
Stop Dragon My Heart Around Series
Romancing the Recluse by Michelle M. Pillow
Tipping the Scales by Mandy M. Roth
The post Hot Dragon Shifter Romance Books! appeared first on Pillow Talk Blog.
May 7, 2015
David M. Rountree and Robbie Lunt, Author Interview
Demon Street USA: The true story of a very haunted house
David M. Rountree
Robbie Lunt, Author Spotlights
By Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
Demon Street USA authors and experienced ghost hunters, David M. Rountree and Robbie Lunt, write about their experiences fighting demonic forces attacking a Gainesville, Florida resident being abused by evil forces. Reportedly, Penelope’s home was beset by forces beyond her control—from windows that open by themselves and rusty locks unlatching after being shut for years to dancing stoves and phantom parties. But, more alarming, was the physical abuse Penelope herself was experiencing.
These incidences only a few of the tricks the demonic forces have up their sleeve. It became Rountree and Lunt’s goal to exorcise the demon before it did further harm, by utilizing their own personal experiences with the paranormal, and relying on spiritual artifacts. The book serves not only as a point of paranormal interest, but as a warning for those who think to take on evil entities.
David Rountree is an experienced investigator and a shaman who practices wolf medicine, trained by his grandfather, the Lakota elder Black Eagle. He has been researching the paranormal since 1976 and is the Executive Director of SPIRIT LAB, a scientific research organization based in Hackettstown, NJ.
Robbie Lunt is an Arcanologist with over 20 years’ experience doing energy work in both Tai Chi and Reiki. He has been sensitive to the paranormal since a young age, an epiphany that occurred during a family trip to Stonehenge when he could felt the place’s energy in a way no one else seemed to. It was then he realized he viewed the world differently.
Demon Street USA: The true story of a very haunted house released Aug. 25, 2014 and is currently in ebook and print at several major and indie bookstores including Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.
Q: What compelled you both to write Demon Street USA?
Lunt: It’s a story that I’ve been telling for years to close friends. Everyone has always thought it should be a book but the timing wasn’t right until recently. It’s written for two main reasons. First and foremost it is a warning. There are a lot of paranormal groups that are strictly out to debunk the situation. They may one day get the proof they’re looking for; it is powerful and it can be nasty. Second, the book offers hope to those that are suffering in a haunting. There is a way out, you just have to be diligent and find it.
Rountree: It was time. We couldn’t write it in 1985 for many reasons. One, we lacked the wisdom to write it and there was no market for it. We decided it was time based on a series of events that brought us back together after we had been apart for many years.
Q: Do you believe in the supernatural or are you a skeptic?
Lunt: I work in the entertainment business; I’ve worked with many magicians in my career. I’m always a skeptic first. I do believe what I have experienced though. The universe is not as strange and wonderful as you can imagine, it is beyond what we can fathom. So, I always keep an open mind.
Rountree: As a scientist, I am open-minded. I collect data, and let the data make the conclusions. As a shaman, of course I believe. It’s my life.
Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
Lunt: People, especially those in the west, are scared to death of their own mortality. It becomes quite apparent when a tragedy occurs. Religion asks for a blind faith that there is life after death. Most in this day and age want something more concrete. Paranormal research offers evidence in a scientific manner that more people can accept.
Rountree: I think in many ways it gives them hope, or a promise that there is something left after life. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed. Of course there is more.
Q: What started you on the path or paranormal investigations?
Lunt: I had always been interested in the paranormal. It was the experience that we write about in Demon Street USA that really set me on my spiritual journey.
Rountree: With me, it was the appearance of my grandfather in my room the night he died. He told me he loved me and said goodbye. I found out the next day he had died at that time. It started me on a life time quest to understand what I had experienced. I studied subjects that would train me to look for answers in science…and in spirit.
Q: Robbie, what was your first paranormal experience?
Lunt: It had to have been the fourth or fifth grade, we lived in West Berlin. One night, I dreamt the whole night of my cousin Robin. Everything was crystal clear and very mundane. The next morning I went out front and climbed up on the gate post and sat, waiting for Robin. My mother came out and she asked what I was doing. When I told her she rolled her eyes and walked away. I’m really not sure what her reaction was when my aunt and uncle and Robin pulled up in their station wagon. In the early 70’s you just didn’t drive to West Berlin.
Q: How long have you be investigating the paranormal?
Lunt: Really, since I could read. I have always been drawn to the paranormal both in fiction and non-fiction. 1985 was a turning point for me. I don’t investigate the paranormal as much as I live in a spiritual world. It’s not paranormal, it’s my normal. Lately when I get involved with someone, it’s not so much to investigate as it is to help. They are already sure the place is haunted.
Rountree: Professionally since 1976. I began running my first experiments then.
Q: Could you briefly explain the different types of hauntings?
Rountree: There is the active or proactive intelligent haunt, where there is an actual interaction with something that has intelligence. There is the residual haunt, where the witness actually sees a historical event play over and over, with no reaction to the witness. In short, my wormhole theory would explain both as the result of a conduit in space-time that forms, allowing non-local sources to create local phenomena.
Q: What can you do to protect yourself from ghosts?
Lunt: Most important, always remember that ultimately you are light and love. If it is a ghost, it cannot harm you. In 9 out of 10 cases the spirit just wants to be acknowledged, say hello! There are however, other things out there. Start with picturing a ball of white light surrounding yourself. That would be step one. Smudging (spreading the smoke about) with sage is an age old Native American practice. Different belief systems use different herbs and incense but the idea is to get a powerful vibration happening so only the positive gets in. If it seems that it is more than just a ghost, consulting a man of faith is in order. Always go to whomever you are comfortable with. If that doesn’t work then you may need to search outside your particular beliefs for someone who can get the job done. Don’t give up hope.
Q: Can only priests or spiritual leaders perform exorcisms?
Rountree: I would say yes, as you are dealing with a spiritual entity. If you aren’t trained, or well versed in spirituality, no reading from any book will empower you to exorcise a demon from a person, or banish it from property. You can’t banish demons with niceties and words alone. It takes unbending intent, and impeccable will.
Q: What are the consequences of dealing with negative entities?
Lunt: There is a plethora. Many depend on the entity; many on the person being affected. Everybody has their own subjective grooviness, their reality. It is how each person perceives the world around them in their unique fashion. If a person’s reality is shattered by an encounter with a negative energy it can go in two main directions. They can embrace the freedom offered by the bounds of their reality collapsing or they can slip into the quagmire of despair crushed by their reality not quite being everything they thought it was.
Q: What is your advice if someone thinks they have a demon in their house?
Rountree: Call a Priest. Preferably of your religion, but exhaust your clergy options first. Then seek out a medicine man or shaman with a known reputation for being who he or she is.
Q: How do people react when you tell them about your paranormal experiences?
Lunt: One thing I have noticed, it cracks me up. Even if the person listening is a hardened skeptic, they have a brother or an aunt or a cousin or a best friend that has had a ghostly experience. Since I work in a lot of theaters most of my co-workers at one time or another have had a paranormal encounter. For some reason most theaters are haunted.
Q: What kind of paranormal creatures do you wish you could meet? / Never want to meet?
Lunt: I wish I could meet only benevolent, generous and loving creatures. Spirits seems to have something else in store for me. I could do without another encounter with an authentic demon or a shadow being. I may not be that lucky.
Rountree: I have four ex-wives. Been there…done that…seen them all. I qualify to be a tour guide in Hell.
Q: What spirits do you authors partake of to get these tales?
Lunt: A few have asked- what were you guys on? All of the events in the book were witnessed by different groups of people who all witnessed the same thing at different times. I think you partake after the event to help you deal with what you just experienced.
Rountree: We were stone cold sober
Thank you for joining us!
You can read more about David M. Rountree and Robbie Lunt and their book, Demon Street, at www.demonstreet.com and www.spinvestigations.org
Sampling of paranormal titles–
Paranormal technology; Understanding the science of ghost hunting
ISBN-10: 1450253563
ISBN-13: 978-1450253567
Science based handbook on para technology and its use
Bonus Content to go along with the interview spotlight:
Wormhole Theory by David M. Rountree
Einstein-Rosen Bridge formation appears to be the primary mechanic involved with paranormal phenomena. We have known for some time that the phenomena are emerging, meaning it’s a local condition with a non-local source. In science, there are only a very few things that can create the conditions for emerging information to occur. Since we know that nothing we experience can be experienced outside of the laws of physics, the answer for haunting phenomena must comply with those laws. All indications show that it does. First let’s examine what an Einstein-Rosen bridge actually is.
From Wikipedia:
An Einstein–Rosen bridge, also known by its common vernacular “A wormhole”, or in Para-circles “Portal” or “Vortex” is a hypothetical topological feature of space-time that would fundamentally be a “shortcut” through space-time. A wormhole is much like a tunnel with two ends each in separate points in space-time. This means that it can connect two places in space, as well as two places in time…or both. In plain English, if we visualize space as a two-dimensional (2D) surface, a wormhole can be pictured as the 2D surface of a tube that connects different parts of the surface. The mouths of a wormhole are analogous to the holes at either end of the tube in a 2D plane. An actual wormhole would be analogous to this but with the spatial dimensions raised by one, which can be modeled mathematically even if we find it impossible to visualize. For example, instead of circular holes on a 2D plane, a real wormhole’s mouths could be spheres in 3D space.
Researchers have no observational evidence for wormholes, until now. The equations of the theory of general relativity have valid solutions that contain wormholes. Because of its robust theoretical strength, a wormhole is one of the great physics metaphors for teaching general relativity. The first type of wormhole solution discovered was the Schwarzschild wormhole, which would be present in the Schwarzschild metric describing an eternal black hole, but it was found that this type of wormhole would collapse too quickly for anything to cross from one end to the other. Wormholes which could actually be crossed in both directions, known as traversable wormholes, would only be possible if exotic matter with negative energy density could be used to stabilize them.
To delve deeper, The Casimir effect shows that quantum field theory allows the energy density in certain regions of space to be negative relative to the ordinary vacuum energy, and it has been shown theoretically that quantum field theory allows states where the energy can be arbitrarily negative at a given point. Many physicists such as Stephen Hawking, Kip Thorne, and others therefore argue that such effects might make it possible to stabilize a traversable wormhole. Physicists have not found any natural process that would be predicted to form a wormhole naturally in the context of general relativity, although the quantum foam hypothesis is sometimes used to suggest that tiny wormholes might appear and disappear spontaneously at the Planck scale, and stable versions of such wormholes have been suggested as dark matter candidates. It has also been proposed that if a tiny wormhole held open by a negative-mass cosmic string had appeared around the time of the Big Bang, it could have been inflated to macroscopic size by cosmic inflation.
The American theoretical physicist John Archibald Wheeler coined the term wormhole in 1957; however, in 1921, the German mathematician Hermann Weyl already had proposed the wormhole theory, in connection with mass analysis of electromagnetic field energy.
This analysis forces one to consider situations…where there is a net flux of lines of force, through what topologists would call “a handle” of the multiply-connected space, and what physicists might perhaps be excused for more vividly terming a “wormhole”.
So…taking all this into account, we began a search for evidence demonstrating wormhole formation back in 2010. I designed a device that could detect emerging Electromagnetic Fields, in order to define a source point for further analysis. This device, The EMF Quadrolator, has been dubbed “The Worm Hole Detector” for simplicity. Here is what we have discovered since 2010:
A point of information emergence forms in a locale. This information is Electromagnetic field radiation. This includes Electronic Voice Phenomena, which has been proven to be an Electromagnetic Field in the Audio spectrum of frequencies. It is not sound. Sound is mechanical energy, not electromagnetic energy. However, it is also noted that acoustic energy (sound) also emerges.
In the local area of emergence, the environment alters. The first alteration is an increase in background gamma radiation. IF exotic matter is present, it will annihilate once it contacts normal matter. It will occur at the Planck level, or particle/sub-atomic level. If it occurred at the atomic level, there would be a large thermonuclear explosion. This is not the case.
This gamma radiation ionizes the air molecules adjacent to the emergence point. This causes a dramatic increase in ions, both positive and negative.
Static fields increase dramatically, creating hair standing on end, fear responses, and other psychological conditions due to neural stimulation.
Barometric pressure drops adjacent to the emergence point. This indicates an atmospheric differential is occurring.
Gravity fluctuates along three separate axes. This is indicative of wormhole formation. A wormhole can bend space-time locally.
Vortexual movement can be detected. This would be indicative of wormhole spin…or rotation.
Information can also emerge in the form of visual stimulation based on low frequency acoustics. Brainwave alteration can occur from low frequency EMF. This can alter mood, stimulate various emotional responses, and trigger medium effects, or the receiving of intelligent information.
An “apparition” can appear. This is caused by a holographic projection of energy on to the holographic boundary of the wormhole. This means a visual ghost is a hologram. Evidence suggests that the source is intelligent, and possibly a disembodied consciousness.
Predictions of this data occurring can be made. Many tests were conducted in both active and inactive locations. Wormhole activity was detected in both locations. This indicates that wormholes open up all around us all the time. These gates are sometimes active, sometimes not. There tends to be more “active” wormhole activity in locales with a reputation of being “haunted”.
Tesla did experiments with his high energy Tesla coil. High energy discharge has demonstrated potential for artificially opening these wormholes.
There are time fluctuations occurring at the mouth of the wormhole. Time may speed up or slow down. This can be experienced physically, as well as detected using a torsion field detector.
The data demonstrated above is predictable. The predictions are realized associated with activity and information emergence. The theory is legitimate. The proof is building for not only this being the mechanic involved in paranormal activity, but more important, proof that wormholes exist and are not just theoretical constructs.
The post David M. Rountree and Robbie Lunt, Author Interview appeared first on Pillow Talk Blog.
April 30, 2015
Trina M. Lee, Author Interview
Trina M. Lee, Author Spotlight
By Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
Urban Fantasy Author, Trina M. Lee was born in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. Writing fiction since childhood, a fascination with the supernatural developed in her early teen years and an immersion in paranormal fiction began. Her titles have been ranked in the Top 100 Paranormal/Vampire Bestseller Lists on Amazon & iBooks. Her newest book, Freak Show (Alexa O’Brien Book 7) releases this month in ebook and print.
Q: In your book, Freak Show, you explore the possibilities of vampires and werewolves. What inspired you to write about paranormal creatures?
TML: I grew up really into vampires and werewolves. Back then the paranormal genres were not as popular and I found it hard to find good books featuring these creatures. I knew I had to write my own. Thankfully over time many others did as well so now there is plenty of good paranormal reading material to choose from.
Q: Do you keep your paranormal mythos traditional?
TML: I did keep some of the classic vampire and werewolf rules though some of them I got rid of such as garlic for vampires and silver for werewolves. I like to put my own twist on things where possible.
Q: What myths or legends inspired you?
TML: I’ve always been intrigued by old tales of the paranormal. Elizabeth Bathory, Vlad Tepes, those people caught my attention when I was still a preteen. I’m always on the hunt for some fascinating folklore I haven’t discovered yet.
Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
TML: The sense of mystery lures people in. And of course the idea of something being dark and forbidden helps add to the intrigue. I think people have always been attracted to that which is off limits and dangerous.
Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
TML: I have always been a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. I was so sad when it ended. Currently I am enjoying Being Human, The Vampire Diaries, The Walking Dead and American Horror Story. For movies my all-time favorites have to be Ginger Snaps and The Lost Boys. In books, right now I’m enjoying Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series. I’ve also always love Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles.
Q: Do you believe?
TML: I definitely believe in the supernatural. I can be a skeptic when it comes to certain things, like aliens. But I have no doubt that ghosts and other spiritual entities are real.
Q: So you’ve had a paranormal experience?
TML: Several. My mother’s current house has plenty of ghost activity. Voices can be heard at night, muffled, like they’re in the next room. Lights and TV turn on and off, etc. Thankfully nothing incredibly terrifying has happened.
Q: What kind of paranormal creatures do you wish you could meet?
TML: All of them, lol. If I were to meet one I’d be obsessed with finding others. Of course I’d have to survive the meeting.
Q: If given the chance, would you become a vampire or werewolf?
TML: I’d probably be impulsive and go for it. Hopefully I’d take the time to think it through. It would certainly have its perks but it would have some serious cons too. I’d likely be swayed by the intrigue and say yes.
Q: How would you react if you met up with a paranormal creature?
TML: I’d like to pretend I’d be all cool and suave but I would probably pee my pants and pass out.
Q: What does the future hold for Alexa O’Brien?
TML: Dark things. Alexa still has a lot to learn. She’s gone through a lot of changes but there is much yet to come. It won’t be pretty but it will be necessary.
Q: Have you ever been abducted by aliens?
TML: Not that I know of. Although if the Men in Black did their light zappy thing, I’d never know it happened.
To learn more about Trina M. Lee and her books visit her online at www.TrinaMLee.com
Sampling of TML’s other paranormal titles (to be used as space permits) –
ONCE BITTEN (Alexa O’Brien Book 1) – 978-0-9869410-0-9 – Urban Fantasy
THE WICKED KISS (Alexa O’Brien Book 2) – 978-0-9869410-1-6 – Urban Fantasy
ONLY VAMPIRES CRY BLOOD (Alexa O’Brien Book 3) – 978-0-09869410-4-7 – Urban Fantasy
BLONDE & BLUE (Alexa O’Brien Book 4) – 978-0-9869410-3-0 – Urban Fantasy
DEATH WISH (Alexa O’Brien Book 5) – 978-0-9880957-0-0 – Urban Fantasy
DARKER (Alexa O’Brien Book 6) – 978-0-9880957-1-7 – Urban Fantasy
Spotlight
By Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
Urban Fantasy Author, Trina M. Lee was born in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. Writing fiction since childhood, a fascination with the supernatural developed in her early teen years and an immersion in paranormal fiction began. Her titles have been ranked in the Top 100 Paranormal/Vampire Bestseller Lists on Amazon & iBooks. Her newest book, Freak Show (Alexa O’Brien Book 7) releases this month in ebook and print.
Q: In your book, Freak Show, you explore the possibilities of vampires and werewolves. What inspired you to write about paranormal creatures?
TML: I grew up really into vampires and werewolves. Back then the paranormal genres were not as popular and I found it hard to find good books featuring these creatures. I knew I had to write my own. Thankfully over time many others did as well so now there is plenty of good paranormal reading material to choose from.
Q: Do you keep your paranormal mythos traditional?
TML: I did keep some of the classic vampire and werewolf rules though some of them I got rid of such as garlic for vampires and silver for werewolves. I like to put my own twist on things where possible.
Q: What myths or legends inspired you?
TML: I’ve always been intrigued by old tales of the paranormal. Elizabeth Bathory, Vlad Tepes, those people caught my attention when I was still a preteen. I’m always on the hunt for some fascinating folklore I haven’t discovered yet.
Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
TML: The sense of mystery lures people in. And of course the idea of something being dark and forbidden helps add to the intrigue. I think people have always been attracted to that which is off limits and dangerous.
Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
TML: I have always been a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. I was so sad when it ended. Currently I am enjoying Being Human, The Vampire Diaries, The Walking Dead and American Horror Story. For movies my all-time favorites have to be Ginger Snaps and The Lost Boys. In books, right now I’m enjoying Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series. I’ve also always love Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles.
Q: Do you believe?
TML: I definitely believe in the supernatural. I can be a skeptic when it comes to certain things, like aliens. But I have no doubt that ghosts and other spiritual entities are real.
Q: So you’ve had a paranormal experience?
TML: Several. My mother’s current house has plenty of ghost activity. Voices can be heard at night, muffled, like they’re in the next room. Lights and TV turn on and off, etc. Thankfully nothing incredibly terrifying has happened.
Q: What kind of paranormal creatures do you wish you could meet?
TML: All of them, lol. If I were to meet one I’d be obsessed with finding others. Of course I’d have to survive the meeting.
Q:If given the chance, would you become a vampire or werewolf?
TML: I’d probably be impulsive and go for it. Hopefully I’d take the time to think it through. It would certainly have its perks but it would have some serious cons too. I’d likely be swayed by the intrigue and say yes.
Q: How would you react if you met up with a paranormal creature?
TML: I’d like to pretend I’d be all cool and suave but I would probably pee my pants and pass out.
Q: What does the future hold for Alexa O’Brien?
TML: Dark things. Alexa still has a lot to learn. She’s gone through a lot of changes but there is much yet to come. It won’t be pretty but it will be necessary.
Q: Have you ever been abducted by aliens?
TML: Not that I know of. Although if the Men in Black did their light zappy thing, I’d never know it happened.
To learn more about Trina M. Lee and her books visit her online at TrinaMLee.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sampling of your other paranormal titles (to be used as space permits) –
Include Title, ISBN, paranormal element
ONCE BITTEN (Alexa O’Brien Book 1) – 978-0-9869410-0-9 – Urban Fantasy
THE WICKED KISS (Alexa O’Brien Book 2) – 978-0-9869410-1-6 – Urban Fantasy
ONLY VAMPIRES CRY BLOOD (Alexa O’Brien Book 3) – 978-0-09869410-4-7 – Urban Fantasy
BLONDE & BLUE (Alexa O’Brien Book 4) – 978-0-9869410-3-0 – Urban Fantasy
DEATH WISH (Alexa O’Brien Book 5) – 978-0-9880957-0-0 – Urban Fantasy
DARKER (Alexa O’Brien Book 6) – 978-0-9880957-1-7 – Urban Fantasy
The post Trina M. Lee, Author Interview appeared first on Pillow Talk Blog.
April 23, 2015
D. McEntire, Author Interview
D. McEntire, Interview
By Michelle Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
(Diane) McEntire grew up around books. Her mother went through books like candy, and as a member of several mail order book clubs, there was never a shortage of something around the house to read. Diane remembers her love of reading beginning with the Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys series. Though she found mystery novels fun, she found paranormal stories, still her favorite genre, to be where the real excitement lay. Her mother’s love of reading passed on to Diane’s daughter, who, at an early age of ten, began to write fantasy stories. Her stories, so descriptive and full of imagination, motivated Diane to try her own hand (pardon the pun) at writing.
At one of her family’s weekly Friday dinner gathering at a Cracker Barrel restaurant, where she and her sisters tended to go on and on about books they’ve recently read, the conversation turned to the approach of an annual favorite—Thunder Over Louisville. The prior year, a record of over 800,000 attendees packed the Louisville side of the river. She voiced the joke of that being a vampire smorgasbord, and thus, The Watchers series had begun.
The first of the series, Midnight Reborn, was released in 2008. Seven books in the series have been released to date with more to follow.
Q: In your series, The Watchers, you delve into the world of vampires. What inspired you to write about this?
McEntire: My family had a weekly gathering on Fridays at Cracker Barrel. There would be no less than fourteen of us with my mother and father included. While various conversations rounded the table, my two sisters and did what we always do when we meet—share our thoughts on romance novels we’ve read or listened to on audio.
One particular family meet-up occurred the beginning of April, 2007. While talking and eating, a particular topic drew in the entire gathering—Thunder Over Louisville, an annual fireworks festival that heralds the opening of the Kentucky Derby Festival. The event’s popularity brings in people from all over the United States. I told the group that I had heard on the local news that a record number attended the festival last year—over 800,000 people on the Louisville waterfront. A mental image of the crowd and vampires walking among them struck me, and I had joked aloud about the place being packed with so many people would definitely be a vampire smorgasbord. With the encouragement of my family, the Watchers series had begun. Since I’d already had the setting, downtown Louisville, Kentucky, and the timeline, before the start of the festival, the story came together quite easily. Being from Louisville, I was able to visualize each and every step. I created a world in the heart of a busy city where with the setting of the sun, a war waged between vampires whose lust for blood and the thrill of the kill puts both the vampire and human races in danger, and the Watchers tasked with the job of eliminating that threat. Midnight Reborn kicked off this series filled with rogue vampires, kidnapping, murder, vampire drugs, psychotic scientists, and a cat named “Brat” who should have learned years ago to step away from the food trough.
Q: Did you base your story off of known vampire myths?
McEntire: Midnight Reborn was my first published novel, and I was only beginning to learn the ropes of writing and promoting. I was introduced to chat rooms and readers’ groups, and recall chatting with another new author about vampires. A reader had complained about certain abilities of her characters. My response to her was, “You show me a real vampire and I’ll ask them.” No one knows what vampires, werewolves, ghosts, or any other paranormal character can or can’t do—walk in sunlight; never age or age slowly; sleep in coffins, the earth, or in normal beds; shift into bats or any other animal; have the ability to read minds, speak telepathically, wipe memories, or will a person to do something; eat normal food or consume only blood. They are fictional, giving the author the ability to create their own character. I love having that freedom, another reason I enjoy writing paranormal instead of historical, which requires research and knowledge of a particular timeline. Although there is that freedom, I do research places and aspects of plotlines for accuracy/believability even though the characters happen to be vampires. I want readers stop and take a glance around as if vampires really do exist.
Q: What legends inspired you?
McEntire: I receive inspiration for writing paranormal stories from places. If there is a place with a history and is said to have paranormal activity, whether proven or not, scenarios for stories come easily. You can imagine what happened there in the past and what could happen in your story. In Louisville, I used Waverly Hills Sanatorium, touted as one of the scariest places on earth, as one of the main spots in the fifth novel of my Watchers series, Midnight Unseen. The building housed tuberculosis patients from 1926 – 1961. It reopened as Woodhaven Medical Services in 1962, but was closed again in 1980, and has remained vacant ever since. The building’s isolated area and state of disrepair made it a perfect location for vampire activity, not only in the fifth novel, but in a few of the subsequent novels in the series. I’d chosen another intriguing place in Louisville, the U.S. Marine Hospital, for a significant locale in the series as well. In fact, it is the backbone of the fourth novel, Midnight Savior, but readers will have to check out the story to learn the building’s sinister secrets. When you know an area well, it’s fun to drive around and allow your surroundings to set the perfect tone for a scene, or the entire story itself.
Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
McEntire: The paranormal is not something seen or experienced by everyone, which is one reason for the lure and excitement. Take ghosts, for instance. Not everyone has had an encounter with a spirit, so when there is a place said to be haunted, people flock there in hopes of having their own experience. There’s a thrill in having your own special proof that something exists beyond what we see in the world around us. That’s the keyword—special. As if having that experience gives you membership to an exclusive club. Paranormal stories revolve around that “members only” feeling. You’ve got vampires, shifters, ghosts, or whatever the paranormal element is in the story, with only a select group aware of their existence. Readers find themselves among that select group, allowed in behind the scenes, while the rest of the everyday world goes about its everyday business without a clue, missing out on an unseen world filled with danger and passion, and characters that are strong, sensual, protective, and possessive.
Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
McEntire: Perhaps it’s my age, but I never got into some of the younger generation televisions shows such as Vampire Diaries or Supernatural. There are two paranormal television series I record religiously so as not to miss a single episode. Trueblood, the vampire series probably everyone has heard of, and Haven are my favorites. Haven is a series on Syfy where there are people in a town called Haven that have what is known there as the “Troubles”. Stressful events cause those people to have special, and not so pleasant, abilities to which the main character, Audrey Parker, is immune. You have to check out this series! I’m totally hooked!
Q: How would you react if you came face to face with a vampire?
McEntire: If I came face-to-face with a real life vampire, I would have to sit him or her down for a nice, long chat. As I said, no one knows what a vampire can or can’t do. I’d surely be interested in knowing. Call it the perfect research for more vampire tales! Who knows, perhaps there are more capabilities never before written. I could create the next big seller.
Q: What does the future hold for the Watchers series?
McEntire: Even from the beginning I had ten novels planned for the series, and that hasn’t changed. Authors often talk about characters speaking to them, well, that is no different with me. When I first began putting storylines and characters together, each Watcher popped into my head, letting themselves be known. At one point, the first three novels were being written simultaneously. Talk about major multitasking! I hope to get the last three books—Midnight Protector, Midnight Taken, and Midnight Profession—written and released before the end of 2014 or early 2015. After that, it will be time for other stories—paranormal, sci-fi, and even historical—whose characters have been not-so-patiently waiting to have their stories told.
Thanks for joining us, Diane!
You can learn more about D. McEntire and her books at her website, www.dmcentire.com.
FROM AUTHOR: review of the latest release: Midnight Silence – The Watchers, Book Seven
“A LASR Best Book!!” “With complex, riveting characters and a dynamic plotline this story was mesmerizing.” – Judy and Marianne from Long and Short Review
Sampling of Diane’s other paranormal titles–
The Watchers Series (Vampire Romance)
Midnight Reborn – The Watchers, Book One 978-1605041490
Midnight Rose – The Watchers, Book Two 978-1605044170
Midnight Revelations – The Watchers, Book Three 978-1605046044
Midnight Savior – The Watchers, Book Four 978-1605048642
Midnight Unseen – The Watchers, Book Five 978-1609281304
Midnight Rider – The Watchers, Book Six 978-1614955177
Midnight Silence – The Watchers, Book Seven 978-1614959403
Spellbound for Love Series (Vampires, Werewolves, Ghosts, Were-jaguars, Goddesses)
Hunting Jaguar (ebook only)
Haunting the Wolf (ebook only)
Jaguar Frisking (ebook only)
Baring Fangs (ebook only)
Spellbound for Love Vol. 1 – Hunting Jaguar, Haunting the Wolf 978-1618852403
Spellbound for Love Vol. 2 – Jaguar Frisking, Baring Fangs 978-1618856869
Standalone Titles:
Purrs and Lace (Shapeshifter Romance) 978-1935817499
Just Another Paranormal Halloween (Paranormal Romance Anthology) 978-1601801296
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April 16, 2015
Cynnara Tregarth, Author Interview
Cynnara Tregarth, Interview
By Michelle Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
An author of romance, sci-fi, and fantasy, Cynnara Tregarth loves stories of all kinds and always wanted to write. In 2003, her dream came true. She has never looked back, instead gazing on the vista of genres waiting to be conquered.
Her book Call of the Wylde (June 2013) is available in ebook.
Q: In your book, Call of the Wylde, you delve into the world of vampiric lore. What inspired you to write about this?
Cynnara: Everyone has their own theory on how vampires happen. Most of them seem to stem from Bram Stoker’s Dracula legend. But I wanted to go further back, taking into consideration various other mythologies—including the Mayan, Egyptian, and Slavic lore as well. Given my love of mythology and history, I spent a few months delving into the history of what we call vampires in various lands, finding out the earliest tales and how they came about. It was fascinating and there seemed to be a common theme within many of them. I took that theme, shifted it around slightly to incorporate those that didn’t quite fit and suddenly, I found myself with the origin of vampires—including vampire gods and goddesses. That was a surprise even I hadn’t expected in the beginning.
Q: When world building, did you base your story off of known myths throughout history?
Cynnara: The world of the Maraigh brothers, known as the Marauders, is Celtic mythology based. But once you travel down that path, you are led to others, which is why in book two, you learn about Egyptian, Mayan and other mythologies and how they have various beliefs as well. For my Celtic druids, they love and live under the watchful eye of Morrigu, the goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty. Their punishment for their failure is to live eternally and to fight evil, especially that of her brother, Taranis. I’ll be honest, it’s not a common view among Celts. Taranis is the light bringer—the storm god, though in some stories, he’s harsh. In another book, upcoming, you’ll learn more about the fae and their roles within Celtic society and mythology. I plan to toss some of the ways we view them a bit sideways as well.
Q: What myths or legends inspired you?
Cynnara: I love most mythologies- in fact, growing up, I wanted to be a mythologist. Still do. I spent a long time apprenticing myself to become a Druid, so learning druidry and then making it my own for my Maraigh brothers was something natural for me to do. Taking the Celtic myths, like the story of the Fianna fighters always intrigued me. Then there are the historical accounts of druids we have from Julius Caesar and the like. So, I wanted to tell the tales of bards, ovates, and druids who not only survived the time of desolation when they were hunted, but survived into our time. How would they change, how would they remain the same? So, I drew many of the stories I tell from various myths within the Celtic realms, especially the Mabinogion, a collection of tales from Wales.
Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
Cynnara: I think we live each day and think that nothing special ever happens to us. So, anything paranormal grabs our attention because it takes us outside of ourselves. It helps us realize that things aren’t always limited to the five senses alone. Occasionally, when the paranormal happens to you, you learn to live life differently and not take things for granted as much. Or at least, I don’t. I also think there’s a fascination because so many people tell us there is no such thing as whatever—then we hear news of so many new and great discoveries of could never have been—so each day is an adventure into the paranormal when you look beyond your every day window of the world.
Q: Do you have any paranormal pet projects?
Cynnara: I do some paranormal things on the side, but nothing publicly as so much. I think much of that has to do with how little time I have. Though I admit to going to haunted locations and indulging in some psychic fairs and other things of that ilk.
Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
Cynnara: I am in love with Grimm. If I could claim Nick for my own, I would! I love Lost Girl, debating about Sleepy Hollow (I am not sure how in love with the show, though I like the concept itself), and My Ghost Story. I love it because I do believe in ghosts. My favourite paranormal movies are Dreamscape, Ghostbusters, The Sixth Sense, The Omen, The Witches of Eastwick, and Practical Magic. I think that’s a good list so far, but not all of them by far. Books—Do you have about five days while I make a list? Primal Hunger by Dawn Montgomery (I’m waiting for the sequel!), Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews, Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires (I love this series and I have to be careful not to read the books the moment I buy them or I get cranky after), Merry Gentry series by Laurell K. Hamilton, Annette Blair’s Witch books (I love her books all of them!), C.E. Murphy’s Walker Papers (I can’t believe it’s ending soon! NO!), Chris Marie Green’s Vampire Babylon series, Jim Butcher’s Dresden series (may this series live forever and ever!), Cat Adams, Michelle Pillow’s Realm of the Immortal, and Mandy M Roth’s Daughter of Darkness series (It’s one of my favourites!)—just to name a few.
Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?
Cynnara: Believer. You don’t live the life I’ve lived and seen some of the things I’ve experienced and think, “No, that never happened.” Not when it happens more than once.
Q: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Cynnara: I used to be a shy kid. (I know this is hard to believe, but it’s true!) But I used to have friends that were older. They’d talk to me about where I grew up and how things used to be. They were older and sometimes they’d tell me it’s okay to be different. Thing is, I didn’t realize until I tried to introduce them to my mom—they weren’t really there. My mom told me it was my imagination. Only, I’ve seen ghosts on and off since then. It’s one of those things where you realize sometimes it’s not whether you believe or not, it’s whether you accept it’s possible. Because I didn’t know it wasn’t possible, I was able to communicate. Since I never stopped believing it—I always kept that door open. Sometimes it’s helpful, sometimes not.’
That is unlike the telekinetic issue which got spanked out of me when I turned five when I asked for the salt and no one gave it to me at the birthday party for me and my great grandmother. So I made it move to my hand. My mom saw, took me to the bathroom and smacked my butt hard, telling me that I wasn’t supposed to do that in front of others. That it wasn’t polite. I don’t ever remember moving anything with my mind after that point.
Q: What kind of paranormal creatures do you wish you could meet?
Cynnara: I am not going to say a vampire unless it’s like Dana Marie Bell’s vegetarian vampire. Then, we’d be good to go. I do wish I could meet a shifter of any kind. I have major questions that only they can answer.
Q: If given the chance, would you become a shifter?
Cynnara: You know, I’m not sure. I’m not good with pain. I’m thinking there’s a lot of pain with shifting, though sometimes writers cover that up. I live with a certain level of pain every day and anymore and I’d either need to be drinking or drugged up. Plus the whole mandatory furry once a month—not happening for me. 
Though I admit—I’m curious on how the other senses are when you’re shifted. I really am.
Q: How would you react if you came face to face with a vampire?
Cynnara: My first prayer is for me not to pee my pants in fear. Then we have to pray that I don’t do something stupid, like ask to see his fangs. (I am known for asking things like this. My family would back me up on this.) I’d also be trying to figure out how to make sure I didn’t smell good to the vampire. I mean if mosquitoes think I’m a divine feast, I have to be good eats for a vampire!
Q: What does the future hold for the Marauders, especially for Elathan and Donal, the brothers whose books are coming up?
Cynnara: Well, Donal is dealing with the Book of Kells and a missing page from it. A page that deals with the fae and all that’s unholy being let loose if it’s found by the wrong people. I’m actually looking forward to writing the story since it’s based in Ireland and I’ve been having fun doing research.
Elathan’s story is getting hot because I had to rework the original premise and once I figured out his story has an archaeological aspect- and a part where Morrigu herself is endangered- I was like—this just got really real and really interesting. It allows me to bring in the story of Arianrhod, one of my favourite Irish goddesses and one of her stories. Plus, it allows me to bring in some recent finds in archaeology and combine it with some of my own things. Plus, I get to play a bit with Elathan, who is one of my darker characters. He needs someone to lighten him up a bit and help him to blow off more steam.
Q: Have you ever been to a psychic and/or a past life regression? What did they predict for you?
Cynnara: I have gone to a past life regression session. I thought it interesting because I do meditate, but I was iffy on the whole hypnotism thing, forgetting that all hypnotism is self-hypnotism. (I know you’re laughing at me, but hey—it was new to me!) The interesting thing I learned wasn’t that I was a princess or someone important, but that in fact, I was a slave during the height of Roman times. (This explains a lot—I do not like the Romans. I never have, even as a child. They’re the Borg of history.) I listened to the recording made for me and I admit, it was intriguing—especially since I’d have bet money I’d have avoided Rome and Roman rule at all costs if given the chance.
Q: Have you ever been abducted by aliens?
Cynnara: No, but I do wish for a ride on a space ship. I loved Cowboy versus Aliens. Plus I love writing sci-fi romance so to me, I’m like—please let me have an alien adventure, please!
Q: Do you believe in psychic abilities?
Cynnara: Definitely! Psychic abilities are extensions of the abilities you possess currently. Some are developed with time and energy, allowing you to harness areas of your brain that you don’t normally access. If we were accessing all of our brain all the time, how much could we really do? When you consider that—the idea of psychic talents just abound- especially when you watch people do things they shouldn’t be able to do—like on Stan Lee’s Superhumans.
Thanks for joining us, Cynnara!
You can learn more about Cynnara and her books at her website, www.cynnara.com.
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April 9, 2015
Buffi BeCraft, Author Interview
Buffi BeCraft, Interview
By Michelle Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
Buffi BeCraft is your normal everyday humdrum writer living high on hill in the woods surrounded by her very own pack of canines and humans. Throw in a few cats and the family is complete. Of course, you just might miss her while she’s out and about sporting whatever hair color of the day strikes her fancy—green, blue, purple, cotton candy. And when muse strikes, and she strikes hard, Buffi heads off to the writer cave to find out what’s going on in her imagination. Fantasy, paranormal, sci-fi or erotic romance, no genre is off limits
Her book, Cat Scratch Fever, is and erotic paranormal romance that released in ebook the fall of 2013.
Q: In your book, Cat Scratch Fever, the hero is a Panwere or shapeshifter with different forms. What inspired you to create such a character?
Buffi: Cat Scratch Fever is actually a transition story in the Blue Collar Werewolf Series. From the beginning of the series, I always wanted to bring Matthew back from book 1-Weremones, but I knew a sexy workaholic with parent issues would never fit into the traditional wolf pack. So why not make him a cat. And not just ANY cat, the Once and Future King of ALL the cats! From the beginning of the story, he came forward as a guy in need of redemption—and a family. Naomi is just the kind woman with the inner strength for a queen.
On top of all that, the rest of the Blue Collar Werewolf gang is back. I know readers want to what’s going on with Bradley and Brandon and find out how the other guys are doing with their mates. Everyone loves to catch up on old friends and readers will see just what trouble is brewing with the Anderson County Wolven Pack. New paranormal alliances will be made and crazy family reunions are in the mix.
Of course, our very own Spooky, who thinks he is descended from the gods, was the inspiration for the temple cats and Ramses’ tuna song and dance. Arrogant, sneaky, entitled… the Spookmeister definitely believes he’s a divine feline. I couldn’t not put Spooky in a story!
Q: When world building, did you base your story off of known myths throughout history?
Buffi: I keep my mythology loose and try to stay away from relevant events in history. Why? Flexibility! And why would I want to take away from a special date’s significance? I’d much rather make my own historical dates—and history!
Q: What myths or legends inspired you?
Buffi: Oooo. I LOVE mythology. I also love to research original monster legends and think of ways that they could have been interpreted differently. I always wonder what makes the monster a monster. Since I’m a big believer in free choice, I like to play with the circumstances that make a person choose good or evil. Just because a monster is ugly, is it truly evil? Or what darkness lies underneath a pretty façade? What other kinds of psychological factors make our good guys good and our monsters evil? Just like the original Vlad the Impaler did his very best to cultivate a horrifying reputation to protect his people. That makes me wonder, what he was like as a person. The times were horrible and he had to do even more horrible things to keep the invaders at bay. But what choices brought him to that point? Could the things he had done actually have been heroic?
Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
Buffi: I think we like exploring the unknown and uncovering what’s in the shadows. Society now is far less superstitious that it once was. Now we can expose the thing in the dark before it gets us, unmask it, and make it less scary. We explore the paranormal landscape and make it our own with new legends and stories to pass on, just like our ancestors did.
Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
Buffi: True Blood- Of course! I’m a pretty eclectic reader and love all kinds of paranormal stories. I love discovering new and old authors and shows. Some of my favorites are the old werewolf movies and digging through stacks of books at the used bookstore to find forgotten treasures.
Q: Do you believe in the supernatural?
Buffi: Oh, yeah. I’m a true believer. There are things out there that the myths are based on. Things that go bump in the night (and not just the romantic parts) are a major part of our collective human culture. For the most part, yeah, I’m sure there is a good explanation. But I do certainly think that “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy” as the great bard put it. As a writer, I explore what those other things in heaven and earth could be.
Q: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Buffi: Oh, yeah. Boy have I. I have more than one story but I’ll only regal you with my last. It was a long time ago. And I’m pretty darn glad that’s all behind me.
Let’s see, I had all the required elements: the creepy sensation of being watched and followed from room to room, small shadowy things that darted around corners out of the edge of your vision. Let’s see, there was a guy in my own personal story who was being drawn to all sorts of haunts like cemeteries, spooky railroad tracks with scary histories, and other places. Who knows what spiritual garbage followed him home. Then there was—yes, you guessed it— dabbling in dark things.
I think the weirdest part of the story was when I tried moving boxes of books out of the house and couldn’t even budge them from the floor. My mom, a tiny women weighing maybe a 100lbs, snatched them up and toted them out for me. Now I’m an old school RPG gamer and DM, but the thing about those books was that they were occult RPG manuals. Dark stuff meant for play and I seriously could not pick them up. Me, a mom that toted two toddlers around all the time. Those books would not budge and the creepy feeling of being watched in my kitchen did not leave until the box was hauled out the door and to the garage. And to this day, I swear that whatever was keeping those books in place followed them out. I drew a line at the garage door and wound up moving a few months later.
The lesson learned? Not all guys are your knight in shining armor and some things you just don’t play with.
Q: What kind of paranormal creatures do you wish you could meet?
Buffi: Ummmmm. No, thank you. Hahahaha! Really. Take vampires for example. If I were to meet Dracula, I’d still be screaming. As for TV vampires, Angel was sexy, brooding, tortured….and well I’d have to tell the guy to get a grip. Spike—screaming. Bill the vampire? Uh.,,,well I’d back away slowly. I never trusted that guy in the books or TV. Eric the vampire? Drool, drool, scream and hide! Yeah, I’m pretty much a coward at heart. Now a werewolf—that all depends on if they are snarling and trying to chew my leg off. I suppose I’m pretty suspicious. Ultimate cosmic power and all that.
Q: If given the chance, would you become a paranormal creature?
Buffi: No, I don’t think I’d actively choose to become a paranormal creature. Becoming something else wouldn’t solve my current problems; it would only bring a new set. Now, if I didn’t have a choice, I like canine shape shifters the best. Animals live in the moment and I would hope that would transition over. Unfortunately, we still have our human side to mess things up. But still, I think I could see myself rocking a major set of teeth, claws, and an uber metabolism that allowed me to put away calories without the consequences. On the other paw, I’d really miss chocolate. Hmmmmm….
Q: How would you react if you came face to face with a ghost or vampire?
Buffi: Sadly folks, I have discovered that I am a screamer. (Raising my hand and hanging my head.) I am that chick in the movies that freezes and screams while you yell at her to haul her butt out of there. Spider, scorpions, snakes…. Yes, I stand there and scream until my hero Jason saves me. Talk about your romance hero. Dragons? Pfft. Give me a wonderful guy who will come running with a shoe to save you from the dreaded wee spider that has you cornered in the bathtub.
Bees….well those are my special hell. Those dratted things chase me— so I run. A couple of years ago, a particularly vicious bumblebee taunted me all the way down the road at top speed. You never saw a short writer run so fast. I wound up throwing my back out and giving up vanilla perfume for good. And yes, I screamed the whole way. If they’d been zombies, I’d have been a nice shrill homing beacon.
Q: What does the future hold for your writing?
Buffi: I plan to write until they find me slumped over my keyboard. I’ll always have a special love for my Blue Collar Werewolves and have no plans to stop that series any time soon. I miss them about six months after finishing one of their stories and have to go back and see what they are up to next. As for my Super Moon Apocalypse stories, I’ve been having a blast destroying the world and showing what reserves the human race still has. We’re either really awesome…or cockroaches. Can’t kill us all—Ha!
No, actually I am enjoying exploring love in surprising circumstances with very unconventional relationships. Now with my friend Belladonna Bordeaux playing in my sandbox, we’ve been getting into even more trouble. Oh, yeah. I mean, we’re having even more fun writing. Not all of the Super Moon stories are shorts. Option 3 will be a novella and our stories will highlight different areas of the country and how the people and paranormals have coped in the aftermath of the end of the world.
Q: Have you tried Tarot Cards?
Buffi: I love my Tarot cards. I don’t do the process correctly though. I hate asking questions about the future because I don’t believe that our fates are set in stone. Time is a fluid thing and our choices depend on many factors. We are given free will and to know what may or may not happen affects those choices, ultimately changing the future.
Q: Have you ever been abducted by aliens?
Buffi: Do relatives count? Some of mine are kind of odd but I love them anyway.
Thanks for joining us, Buffi!
You can learn more about Buffi and her books at her website, www.buffibecraft.net.
Sampling of Buffi’s other paranormal titles–
The Blue Collar Werewolf Series Romance/ Paranormal Fantasy
Weremones-ISBN-10: 1586088912 ISBN-13: 978-1586088910- Released Mar 2007
PMSING-ISBN-10: 1603940138 ISBN-13: 978-1603940139 – Released 2007
Making Tracks-ISBN-10: 1603940227 ISBN-13: 978-1603940221-Released 2007
Creature Comforts-ASIN: B008O7VZ6E –Released Oct 2009
Cat Scratch Fever-Release Fall 2013
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April 2, 2015
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HA Fortman, Author Interview
HA Fortman, Author Spotlight
By Michelle Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
Newly published Romance Suspense indie author HA Fortman loves to read, and has since she was a small child. Recently, with the encouragement of her friends and family, she decided to start writing her own books and publishing them. While she’s always written stories, most of them ended up in the trash or being covered in dust and forgotten.
She resides in South East Michigan with her husband and son, and their two dogs and two cats. Her first book, Chasing Constellations, can be purchased online in ebook and paperback.
Q: In Chasing Constellations, the reader gets to explore the Zodiac Murders from a different angle. What inspired you to write about this?
Fortman: I was inspired to write this several years ago, but never got the chance, when I had to do a report on the cold case murders. I often thought, what if it wasn’t done by a human?
Q: When world building, did you base your story off of known myths throughout history?
Fortman: The majority of the story takes place in California, however they do go up to the Battle Cruiser (the UGS Constellation) a few times!
Q: What myths or legends inspired you?
Fortman: I’ve always been a fan of mysteries, and shifters. They are so lucky to be able to change, who wouldn’t want to? And Mysteries! Who doesn’t love a good mystery or suspense story?
Q: Do you have any paranormal theories?
Fortman: We aren’t the only ones out there in the universe. There’s always a base of fact for any and every myth and urban legend.
Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
Fortman: I think society is fascinated by the paranormal because it’s a break from everyday life. It gives them a chance to escape reality and step into a whole new world where they can forget their woes.
Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
Fortman: I’ve been an avid fan of Dr Who for years! I love way too many books to list. If it’s a paranormal or science fiction then I’m either reading, or watching it! At least a few to see if I am going to like it.
Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?
Fortman: Of course I believe! I was raised on supernatural stories as a child. I remember when I would spend weeks at a time with my Grandfather, at night he would pull me into his lap and open a book he had (I don’t remember the name) and we’d read about different fantasy animals. It started my love of the Griffon.
Q: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Fortman: I grew up in a house that was haunted. I don’t know how many times I would come home to the pictures and paintings on me wall being neatly organized on the floor… sometimes by size, sometimes by alphabet, once even by color!
Q: How would you react if you came face to face with a paranormal creature?
Fortman: Hmm well I’d be frightened at first, I mean… who wouldn’t!? It’s not something you expect to run into. Then… curiosity would take over and run roughshod over my common sense. They would most likely run away screaming for someone to shut me up.
Q: What does the future hold for your writing?
Fortman: I am currently working on book 2 of the UGS Constellation series. It’s the story a lot of people have been waiting for.
Q: Choose your fate: Would you rather face being abducted by aliens or the face imminent threat of zombies?
Fortman: I would rather face aliens; they’d be able to take me to the stars! How awesome would it be to be out in space and visiting different worlds?
Q: If you could be anywhere while writing, where would you be and why?
Fortman: I would still be at home, I have a great support system here. However I would definitely hire a house staff because meh, I hate cleaning and cooking while writing! It would be so nice to have someone here to do it for me so I wouldn’t have to stop!
Q: When writing a new paranormal world, what details do you think are most important?
Fortman: First of all, I tend to write by the seat of my pants. I have a “this is what I want to happen” idea outline done up and then I start writing and if I get to everything on that outline it’s great! However, if I don’t than it’s no big deal. That being said, I tend to think it’s a better balance if it all works and meshes together. Characters, settings, and their objects they use NEED to work together or it doesn’t flow properly.
Thank you for joining us, HA!
To learn more about HA Fortman, visit http://hafortmanauthor.wordpress.com/
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