Writing the Paranormal by Clarissa Johal

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 Writing the Paranormal 
 by Clarissa Johal

People seem surprised at the fact that I write paranormal. I’m often asked where my ideas come from. Have I experienced ghostly encounters and consort with spirits or do my ideas come magically from the netherworld? My sense of humor gets me into trouble so I try and keep a straight face when I answer these questions. I’m not sure what they expect, perhaps somebody darker and scarier. Or perhaps somebody that drives a hearse. I drive a Toyota. With polka-dots. 
I started out writing young adult fantasy fiction. I love reading YA fantasy, so it just made sense that I would choose that genre. It took me ten years to write my first YA novel, Pradee, but I’m quite proud of it as it was a labor of love. I was working on my second installment to the series, when I was hit by two characters that didn’t belong in my novel or any young adult fiction. I kept setting them aside, but they would return, stronger than ever. At that point, I began to write BETWEEN, a paranormal novel for adults. BETWEEN took me two months to complete the first draft and a year later, it was ready to submit. Musa Publishing accepted it soon after. I can safely say, the paranormal genre has laid its claim because the ideas come faster than I can write them.

The writing process has varied from novel to novel, however. My YA fantasy started out as a short story written in a mythology class. BETWEEN, my paranormal coming through Musa Publishing on December 14, 2012 (little plug there) came to me fast and furious. And Struck, the paranormal horror novel I’m working on now, grew from a single scene that kept playing over and over again in my head.
But the characters tell me what to write, not vice versa. That sounds schizophrenic but therein lies the wonderful world of creating a story. And perhaps, the mysterious otherworld of writing paranormal (cue in spooky music). There are times I’m forced to sit my characters in the corner for mouthing off at me, but they usually get their way and I write what they tell me to.

BETWEEN, a story of the paranormal.
Synopsis:
Since Lucinda was a young girl, she's been able to see spirits, a gift that didn't come without its problems. Now, a dedicated, young veterinarian, she is committed to the idea that everything can be saved. When Lucinda is involved in a car accident that kills her fiancé, she is devastated and moves to a small town to live a life of self-imposed exile. There, she meets a newcomer and feels an immediate connection with him. However, there is another mysterious stranger to the small town, one that stirs within her a mixture of unease and desire. The spiritual activity around her intensifies as Lucinda is increasingly haunted by memories of the accident. As she is drawn into a bitter tug-a-war from the forces around her, she is likewise pulled into a dangerous twist of past and present events. Forced to make difficult choices, she surprisingly finds that the two men are locked in not only a battle for her life...but a battle for their salvation.
Bio: 
Clarissa Johal has done everything from working as a veterinary assistant and vegetarian chef to volunteering as a zoo-keeper aide and swimming with six foot sturgeons. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray animal that darkens the doorstep. One day she fully expects a wayward troll to wander into her yard, but that hasn't happened yet. 
BETWEEN, a story of the paranormal. Coming December 14, 2012 from Musa Publishing
PRADEE, a fantasy for young adults.*Second round finalist in Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award Contest 2012 Available through Amazon.com and most on-line retailers.
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