We have a very special guest today, Faith Marlow is a USA Today best selling author of dark fantasy/paranormal/horror with Vamptasy Publishing.
Check out a few of Faith’s books below!
(Click on the image to order your copy)
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)
Shannon Work grew up in Del Rio, a border town in the dusty wilds of West Texas. When she graduated from high school, she moved east to College Station and graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a master’s degree in Land Economics and Real Estate.
Most of her working life has been spent developing real estate, earning a national Best in America Living Award for one of her developments. After two failed starts at writing a novel while raising three kids and working, she retired to pursue her dream of writing mystery novels full time.
Shannon and her husband are recent empty nesters and split their time between Houston, Texas and Telluride, Colorado. Always with their laptops and dogs in tow.
Would you like a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card?Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Now I See You (Mountain Resort Mystery Series Book 1) by Shannon Work ~ Genre: Mystery
Two murders. A terrified mountain resort. Can a daring reporter help stop an avalanche of dead bodies?
Celebrity TV anchor Georgia Glass wants out of Denver and far away from her obsessed fan. Set to host her own investigative crime show in LA, she’s surprised to inherit a Victorian house in Aspen from a mysterious uncle she never knew. But while exploring the gothic property, she discovers the frozen corpse of a missing heiress.
Georgia’s journalist instincts kick in and she is determined to help police track down the killer. But by investigating the murder, has she made herself the killer’s next target?
Can Georgia help solve the case before she becomes the next victim? Or will the stalker that followed her to Aspen get her first?
Now I See You is a fast-paced whodunit set amidst the spectacular scenery of Aspen, Colorado, and the first book in the suspenseful Mountain Resort Mystery series.
Agatha Christie once said, “People should be interested in books, not their authors.” But interest in both Agatha Christie and her books has now endured for a century.
Christie published her first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, in 1920. What followed were 65 additional mystery novels, 14 collections of short stories, and one hundred years of the world’s fascination with the author.
Christie has sold more than 2 billion books worldwide, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. There are Facebook groups, blogs, even an iPhone app dedicated to the author and her books.
I read my first Agatha Christie novel, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, decades ago and was instantly hooked. After all these years, I’m still reading (and re-reading) her books. Every summer I read one I haven’t read before and re-read one of my favorites. This summer I re-read Death on the Nile in anticipation of the new film adaptation scheduled to be released in December.
Christie and her works have influence many of the best contemporary mystery writers. Authors such as Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley readily acknowledge Christie’s influence in their own writing. And with an endless number of mystery novels written since Christie’s career, her novels firmly remain classics of the genre.
When I decided to write my own mystery story, I picked out several of my favorite Christie novels, re-read and studied them. Her stories always include twists, turns and jaw-dropping conclusions. But they also delve into common human behaviors—fear, jealousy, revenge and greed.
Fast-paced and deceptively easy to read, her novels are sometime dismissed by critics as simple, her prose criticized as flat. But I agree with Nathaniel Hawthorne who famously quipped, “Easy reading is damned hard writing.”
How can anyone read and not thoroughly enjoy an Agatha Christie novel? It’s a mystery to me.
As an avid reader of fiction (and an author who one day hopes to make the list) I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE checking out the New York Times Best Seller list. So, here it is… The independently ranked top 10 Fiction selections for November 2020!
If you’ve read any of the TOP 10 selections and recommend them, please comment below and let me know. If you see something you like and plan to pick up a copy, you can do so by clicking on the cover image, the title or the [BUY IT HERE] button.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The lives of twin sisters who run away from a Southern Black community at age 16 diverge as one returns and the other takes on a different racial identity but their fates intertwine.
When you purchase a book using a link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission.All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)
With an education in Mass Communication–and an engrossment in all that is curious and bewitching–Brianna Sugalski is an author and blog editor at the Parliament House Press.
The Filipino-American author was born and raised on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, but travels the country every few years with her husband and two children. She admires the luminaries of the Victorian Era; growing up reading period literature, folklore, and fables has inspired her to paint vibrant settings of nature and narratives that readers will hopefully enjoy.
Ultimately, she aspires to make her own readers laugh, to challenge their perspectives on society and systemic prejudice, and to help them discover the magical meaning of their own powers within.
A Breton princess at the peak of the French Renaissance, Lilac lives prisoner in her parents’ castle after a wicked secret is revealed on the eve of her tenth birthday soirée. Years later, her coronation ceremony looms, and between the riotous townsfolk and scheming nobleman bent on snatching the throne, Lilac prepares for the worst…
Until a mysterious letter arrives from The Witch of Lupine Grotto, detailing a curious offer to cure her darkness forever. Lilac begrudgingly trades her coronet for a cloak and ventures into the forest Brocéliande in pursuit of the impious enchantress at the edge of town. With only the protection of an inherited dagger-and, unsolicited help of the sardonic stranger who inserts himself on her quest-she must traverse Brocèliande and return in time to claim her rightful position as sovereign monarch.
This is the story of a cursed princess, A crestfallen killer, The town that wants them to burn, And the witch that can save them both.
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)
DL Jones is a Writer, IT Professional and Tech Enthusiast.
Visit dljonesbooks.com for more info and to sign up for the newsletter
DL Jones was born in Brooklyn NY, grew up in Newport News VA and has spent the last 8 years in Charlotte NC. He has served time in the US Army and works as an IT Professional. His first love has always been tech, well computers and the web specifically, which has led to a lot of writing. He has had several websites/blogs and podcast over the years.
The Injectionby DL Jones & Devante Cresh ~ Genre: Psychological Medical Thriller
The only thing to save two old friends from death may also be what kills them.
Mr. Peters is a successful business owner. Other than dealing with a recent rash of break-ins, he lives a very satisfying life. That was until a childhood friend and brilliant scientist paid him a visit.
While the two friends had a troubled past, not speaking for ten years, the reunion was a happy one. That happiness quickly took a wrong turn as their lives are threatened.
Now held captive, the use of an experimental drug was the only option. A top-secret drug that enhanced a person’s will and physicality is the only thing giving them a fighting chance.
However, there are deadly side effects. Along with enhanced abilities comes a decrease in mental stability. Moreover, there is more to the kidnappings than first thought.
Will the two childhood friends maintain their sanity long enough to survive?
Would you like a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card?Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
What inspired you to write this book?
What inspired me to write this book, and this is mentioned in the book itself. The old story I heard years ago, probably everyone has heard it. A woman gets into a car accident and thrown from the car. When she wakes, she sees her child trapped under the car. In her extreme desperation she was able to lift the car and pull her baby out. Desperation and adrenaline grew so much that she was able to do the thing that would seem impossible. I was thinking “I wonder if that is true… and if it is, there has to be a medical way to induce that burst of adrenaline… but if there was, there would be side effects.” So the story came to mind, The drug, how it would be tested, the side effects, and what could possibly happen.
Story idea’s usually come to me like that. I just have random thoughts then before you know it, I have a whole book in my head.
What can we expect from you in the future?
Right now, I have a story in a crime thriller box set. The box set is called Notorious Minds, the story is called Dying to Confess. My next release will be a post apoc story, actually I have 2 of those that I’m working on. One is a standalone, the other is a 3 book series. They both may be released under the Devante Cresh pen name as I’m using that name for post apoc and other stories that may have language beyond rated g-pg. Interesting thing about the post apoc series, the pharmaceutical company that makes the drug in The Injection also plays a part in that series. Different time frames but loosely the same universe.
Once those are done, I plan to write more thrillers using a character from the Dying to Confess book. I really like that character. Detective Rebecca Sally, and I want to tell more stories with her.
I enjoyed the characters the most. There is a lot of dialog in this book and the interaction between characters, their quirks and how they think and talk to one another, I find very interesting.
Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?
The main Character… Chauncy Peters. He is very interesting. He is very much a decent guy, He loves his wife, made mistakes in the past but has been trying to atone for them ever since. He is successful. But he is also arrogant. He knows about his arrogance and while it isn’t mentioned in the book specifically, you see he is trying to work on it. He has situations where he keeps calling the one officer “miss”, instead of “officer”. Because in his mind, she is a woman, he call women miss. She wants to be called by her title and corrects him and he struggles with it every time he has to address her but he tries. One of the big desires he has is wanting to have a child, but it isn’t working, or hasn’t been working. So that plays into the story and into him dealing with himself.
Who designed your book covers?
The Injection was designed by MIBlart book cover design. I was very happy with this cover, probably the most satisfied I’ve been with any cover I had yet. They also designed my historical fiction thriller (Billette Hall) cover. My fantasy books. I contracted an artist to do the artwork and contracted someone else to do the lettering. I’m not real happy with them and will eventually change them. I like them as far as the artwork but I think they don’t fit the book/genre etc.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Nope all of my characters were all from my imagination in this book. I haven’t got to where I used real life inspiration for characters yet. But Its something I’ve been itching to do
What did you edit out of this book?
A lot of profanity. One of the complaints I got on early drafts of this story was the language. I never knew people were as opposed to profanity in books as they were, I feel like I’ve read plenty of books that had profanity. After those complaints, I wrote 4 fantasy books, completely clean, no cursing. Then came back to this book, did a rewrite and removed almost all the cursing
Is there an writer which brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why?
I’m a big fan of Chris Fox. He is very open about what he does so I guess picking his brain would consist of asking him questions he’s already answered somewhere online lol.
I am excited to be one of many tour hosts sharing information about The Injection.
Let’s start by finding out a little bit about you…
What is your name and do you write under a pen name? My name is Dion Rosborough and I write under the name Dee Rose.
Where do you call home? I reside in Denver, Colorado.
Obviously, we know you are an author, but some writers have other jobs as well. Do you have another occupation? Do you believe you’re any good at it? Do you like what you do? Yes, I do have another occupation. I am a supervisor at a delivery company. I think I am decent at it, but no, I do not like it.
If it doesn’t bother you, can you let us know what your childhood home looked like? My childhood home was a duplex. It was ok because my mother’s landlord lived upstairs from us. She still lives there, by the way. She has lived there for forty-six years.
Do you have any hobbies, other than writing? What do you enjoy doing? My other hobbies include rapping and being a movie buff.
What is your greatest dream? My greatest dream was to become the first black president. Obviously with Obama, that won’t happen.
Not to pry too much, but do you remember your first love? Yes, I do remember my first love. I was in high school. I asked her out and she said no. It broke my heart.
What is the most terrible thing that ever happened to you? The most terrible thing that’s ever happened to me was being shot twice in the back at the Aurora Theater shooting in 2012. I was there watching the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight.
What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing? Stephen King inspired me to start writing. I enjoy his work. I’ve been writing for about thirty years. However, I took a long break after I joined the military. I began writing again in my late twenties.
Who is your role model? One of my role models was Bill Clinton.
What is your greatest fear? My greatest fear is a tie between heights and snakes.
Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hard-covers or audio-books? I prefer paperbacks. I can pack them up and take them anywhere to read.
Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it? No, I have never read a book more than once.
What is your opinion of novellas? At first, I’d never really had any thoughts about novellas. But now, as an author of novellas, I’ve come to like them.
What is your favorite film based on a book? My favorite film based on a book is The Color Purple.
What is your favorite book genre at the moment? My favorite book genre at the moment is fantasy/magical realism.
If you could invite any four (4) celebrities (alive or dead) to your dinner party, who would you invite and why? I would invite Al Pacino because he starred in two of my favorite movies, Scarface and The Godfather. I would invite Denzel Washington because I believe he is the greatest actor of his generation and he is very intelligent. I would invite Magic Johnson because he is my all-time favorite basketball player. And last, by not least, I would invite Dr. Martin Luther King Jr just to pick his brain to soak up everything he felt and knew.
Let’s shift somewhat to talk about your latest story!
What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or fewer words, what would you say? The name of my most recent book is entitled, The Death Brothers: A Supernatural Awakening. To sum it up, it is about the vampire slayer, Jericho Caine and the demon hunter, Father Tom Padilla as they come to terms with being the reincarnated Death Brothers.
Is the above book part of a series? Yes, the book is part of a series called the Hangman Universe (HMU). It is the eighth book in a planned ten book series.
How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book(s)? I found a designer of the website Fiverr. She has done the cover of my last five books. I adore her. She is from Australia. I found pictures that I wanted to use that illustrated both lead characters (a cross for the priest and sword of the vampire slayer) and the menacing face in the background of the main villain, Thaden.
How did you come up with the title for your book(s)? Once I came up with the two main characters roles in the book, The Death Brothers, I thought about what the book was about, which was the awakening of several supernatural beings.
In your latest novel, who is the lead character and can you tell us a little about him/her? There are two lead characters in my book. The first is Jericho Caine, the vampire slayer. He is the one true slayer who loves to drink, have sex, and steal pickup trucks while fighting evil, mostly vampires. Father Tom Padilla is a demon hunter and the other half of the Death Brothers. He is a renown exorcist, but a former priest. He is regarded as the brains of the operation and the sensible one.
What is your character’s greatest strength? Jericho Caines greatest strength is his loyalty to Tom and his friends. Tom’s greatest strength is his it’s either “right or wrong” mentality. There are no gray areas for Tom.
And what are his/her greatest weaknesses? Jericho’s greatest weakness is his trust of humans no matter their flaws. Tom greatest weakness is his belief that people can’t change.
What’s a positive quality that your character is unaware that he or she has? A positive quality Jericho has is that he cares more about people than he lets on. A positive quality that Tom is unaware of is that his faith guides his decisions.
Will readers like or dislike this character, and why? I believe readers will like the character Jericho Caine because he is funny, witty and cares deep down about people. The think people will be just ok with Tom. He is the normal one out of the two. Some might say, boring.
What first gave you the idea for your latest book? The Death Brothers were introduced in fifth book in the series called The Bad Angel: Redemption. I came up with the idea of brothers, one who fought vampires and one, who fought werewolves in eighteenth century Europe. I thought I would have their legacy continue by having them reincarnated over and over throughout time to fight the forces of evil. Let’s talk now about your writing process.
What is your writing style like? Are you a pantster or a plotter? I believe I am a panster. I come up with my characters and decide what they are going to do while writing. Nothing is planned.
Have you come across any specific challenges in writing or publishing? What would you do differently the next time? My initial problem that I’ve come across was trying to find an agent. Then I tried to find a publisher. As the rejection letters mounted, so did my frustration. I knew I had a story I wanted to get tell, so I decided to self-publish. If I could do it differently, I would have skipped the mission to find an agent and went directly to self-publishing.
Are you a self-published/Indie author or did you publish through a traditional publishing company? I am a self-published author.
What’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing? The best advice I’ve been given when it comes to writing, is get out the story and worry about the editing later.
What advice would you give someone who wants to start writing? I would just tell a new author to not give up if they believe in their imagination and writing abilities. I believe that time will tell a person if they should continue or not.
Dee Rose was born on July 5th and resides in Denver, CO, where he studied Political Science at Metropolitan State University. He has two children, Nadia and Nicole. He started writing when he entered a writing contest at William A. Wirt high school in Gary, IN. “My goal is to blow people’s minds.” He says. “But sound cool doing it.”
The Hangman laughed at Sariel. “Looks like Caine and Padilla have finally pissed off more than just the underworld.”
Two weeks have passed since the events of the Hangman Returns. Jericho Caine and Father Tom Padilla, the Death Brothers, return to The Reefs in the Gulf of Mexico to settle a score with the vampire sirens. However, a female angel, Sariel, with romantic intentions toward Jericho, plans to separate the brothers and seduce the slayer. Sariel strikes a deal with the Hangman to distract the brothers by casting a spell that resurrects vanquished supernatural beings in New York. In return, Sariel agrees to help the Hangmen bring back his wife and son, who are Heaven.
Sariel also recruits a vengeful scientist, Dr. Ranken, to create a monster, who is a combination of a rare male vampire siren, and a werewolf. Sariel wants the doctor and his creation, Thaden, to only eliminate Tom, but they have other plans. They hire a hitman, to acquire a mystical weapon called the Takara Dagger. It has the power to kill any living being, including angels and demons. They intend to kill anyone that poses a threat to their ascension to power. As the new threat grows, the Death Brothers must face the danger without their allies. Susan Taki, Tom’s girlfriend, is still in a coma in San Diego. The Grand Librarian, Alexander Merryweather, is in Chicago tending to his new family.
The Death Brothers: A supernatural Awakening is the eighth novella in the HMU series beginning with; The Hangman; The Grand Librarian: Life of an Immortal; Father Tom Padilla: Mark of the Demon Priest; Jericho Caine, Vampire Slayer: Dakota Rises; The Bad Angel: Redemption; The Hangman Returns; and The Grand Librarian: The Future Wizards.
We have a very special guest today, Wayne Miller is the author of The Confessions of Saint Christopher: Werewolf!
WAYNE MILLER, aka The Evil Cheezman, is the owner and chief creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS, specializing in providing the finest in entertainment for the stage, the page, and the screen. Miller has written, directed, and produced over a dozen independent stage plays and overseen numerous haunted attractions. He writes weekly content for the websites VAMPIRES.COM, WEREWOLVES.COM, ZOMBIES.ORG, TOPCOMICS.COM, and DARKNESS.COM and has been a featured film reviewer for Legless Corpse Films. A storyteller since before he learned the alphabet–he drew picture books–Miller is a devotee of Edward D. Wood, Jr. (“One is always considered mad when one perfects something that others cannot grasp.”) and William Castle. Think P.T. Barnum meets Edgar Allan Poe. That’s him.
Check out Miller’s book below!
Millions of Christians the world over pray to him every day. Few of those, however, know the true history of the patron saint of travelers. Few know that he was, in fact, a Werewolf. Now at last the story will be told.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J Stewart can’t remember a time she didn’t have a book in her hands or a story in her head. Early obsessions with Star Wars, Star Trek, and Wonder Woman set her on the path to creating sweet to sexy pulse-pounding romances for her independent heroines. Anna lives in Northern California where she deals with a serious Supernatural addiction and an overly affectionate cat named Snickers.
Digital sets of the original Honor Bound Trilogy (MORE THAN A LAWMAN, REUNITED WITH THE PI, GONE IN THE NIGHT- 3 winners, their choice of ePub or Mobi)
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Detective Jack McTavish can’t afford another slipup. So when artist Greta Renault claims to have witnessed a murder without a shred of evidence, he’s tempted to walk. Jack’s gut propels him to pursue this case—and his attraction to Greta. Soon, not only is his job on the line, but Greta’s life is, too…and only Jack can keep her safe.
Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
Happy to. I started reading romance early in high school and started writing what has become
e known as fan fiction shortly after. The rest of my friends in school outgrew it, but I never did. In fact, my education faltered rather spectacularly because I was either reading or writing romance. It took me a lot of years to find my way, but I published my first novella with Harlequin in 2014 (CHRISTMAS ACTUALLY anthology). Since then I’ve published light romantic suspense with Berkley (and since self-published those books as The Nemesis Files), the Butterfly Harbor series and The Blackwells with Harlequin Heartwarming, and The Honor Bound series with Harlequin Romantic Suspense. I’ve also published some paranormal romance with ARC Manor and Heart’s Kiss Magazine.
I call myself a kitchen sink romance author. I write a little bit of everything. I’m not super spicy with my heat level. I like to think my books would appeal to a wide-range of romance readers. I love writing community focused books; family and friends connecting and popping up in other stories. That’s the fun bit about writing for me.
What inspired you to write this book?
This book, GUARDING HIS MIDNIGHT WITNESS, was inspired by the Hitchcock movie Rear Window and the classic noir/gothic movie Gaslight. I wanted to write a story about a witness to a crime—who might not have witnessed anything. Greta Renault, my heroine, has an interesting and complicated (and somewhat devastating) backstory. She’s quirky (or as some in the book call her “kooky”). She’s definitely different. I equate her to a human Dory. She’s just flitting from one thing to the next and sometimes just stops talking in the middle of a sentence because she gets easily distracted. But when it comes to proving what she believes she saw, she doesn’t have a choice.
Enter Detective Jack McTavish, who has a habit of playing the White Knight despite never having gotten the princess. He’s been a secondary character in previous books and finally he has his own story The sparks between him and Greta are instant and, I think, this is one of the most realistic relationships I’ve actually written so far. I love creating stories that twist and turn and you’re never quite sure where it’s going, or who the bad guy is. I hope it’s as much fun for the reader to read as it is for me when I write them.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
For the most part, the characters are from my imagination. My villains tend to be people in my life who have ticked me off (or have hurt people I care about). So…yeah. I can think of one paranormal hero, whose story I haven’t written yet, who is definitely modeled after a certain aquatic super hero, but…he’s waiting in the wings.
Pen or typewriter or computer?
Computer for sure and when I get stuck, I turn to longhand and paper and pen. I would LOVE to use a typewriter again. IN fact, that’s one of my goals, to start a typewriter collection. I just love how they sound! But the computer is so much easier and faster for me. I type almost 90 words a minute and my hands can’t move that fast when I’m writing. That said, longhand scribbling tends to help me when I get stuck.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver readers what they want?
I try to do both, actually. My goal is always to put a spin on something familiar. Like with Jack McTavish in GUARDING HIS MIDNIGHT WITNESS, he’s one of those good guys who just keeps striking out. Not necessarily because of anything he does or doesn’t do, but because something just isn’t right between him and his current paramour. I wanted to explore that a little, to dive into the male psyche. We see that a lot with heroines in not being able to land the right guy, but for this one, I flipped it. So yeah, my goal is usually to try to flip something about the story or the expectations on its head.
Today I’d like to welcome T.J. Blake to my site. He says his friends call him Tom or Blake, I think I’ll stick with Blake. Blake is the author of Familiar a new paranormal mystery thriller!
First lets get to know you a little…
Obviously, we know you are an author, but some writers have other jobs as well. Do you have another occupation? Do you like what you do?
I do, I’m a content marketing specialist. I’m a Content Marketer at the UK’s leading online trade directory managing a team of writers. I also own a content marketing business called TJ Creative, and I’m currently working on a new app called TipSpend.
I really enjoy what I do. I’m able to merge my love for writing with marketing. Although my content writing is different to my fiction stories, there are a lot of similarities – there is still storytelling in everything I do. There’s a lot of psychology involved in what I do too, which is an element I really enjoy.
Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hard-covers or audio-books?
I prefer a physical book when reading. However, I love Kindle because instead of lugging around one physical copy, you’re holding fifty books in your e-book!
I have been producing an audiobook and listened to a couple too. I do like them, they’re great for if you’re on a long drive, whack on an audiobook.
What is your favorite film based on a book?
There’s too many to choose from; The Harry Potter films, Lord of The Rings, The Avengers (I think that counts!), any adapted Stephen King novel!
What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?
Stephen King’s ‘The Institute’ is the next one on my list. I’ll be reading it on my Kindle.
Let’s shift somewhat and talk about your latest story.
What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or fewer words, what would you say?
“Familiar” is my new paranormal mystery thriller book.
To describe it in 20 words: a murder mystery with a paranormal twist. The Conjuring meets True Detective.
How did you come up with the title for “Familiar”?
The title relied on the story. Once you have read the book it should make sense. There’s more to the title than Arabella’s anniversary show being called “Familiar”.
Do you have a book trailer? If so, where can we watch it?
In your latest novel, who is the lead character and can you tell us a little about her?
Arabella is a famous psychic medium who communicates with those who exist only in memory. She has been speaking to her ‘friends’ for as long as she can remember. Arabella is committed to using her ability to help people connect once more by giving the deceased a voice.
Her ability and reputation has made it impossible to hold onto lasting relationships, but with those who no longer walk this earth, that’s not the case.
In the book, Arabella returns to where it all began fifteen-years before – on the very same stage. After an evening reconnecting loved ones and exposing untold stories, Arabella can’t help but wonder about the one unclaimed ‘friend’, and their cryptic message.
Arabella finds herself the subject of morning headlines and at the centre of Detective Barnes’ investigation.
What is your character’s greatest strengths?
Quite simply, she’s tough. She has to be. Communicating with spirits is not easy and it’s absolutely terrifying. Arabella doesn’t get a second to herself, but she reasons with her ‘friends’ and makes sure they have a chance to be heard.
Does your character have any weaknesses?
There’s a big weakness to Arabella… but I can’t tell you! You’ll have to read the book to find out.
Arabella has a habit for getting too close with her ‘friends’, but she must distance herself. All ‘friends’ want one thing, to feel alive again.
Will readers like or dislike this character, and why?
I think readers will like Arabella, she’s kind and truly cares about people. But there is a hardness to her.
What first gave you the idea for your latest book?
It was the character Arabella who came to me first; strangely after having gone to see a live Derren Brown stage show.
It was a segment in Derren’s show that impressed me – he was outing psychic mediums and their ‘ability’. In fact, he was more convincing than any psychic medium I had ever seen. It was incredible. He revealed the most personal details about members of the audience. I was jealous – and I actually went up on stage to see if he could speak to my grandfather. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
Derren’s work really inspired me. It made me consider all the things that could happen to a psychic medium – I had a lot of interesting thoughts, a lot of dark ones too.
The different scenarios that unfolded really excited me. I soon had a huge collection of situations that would create an interesting plot. I didn’t rush these ideas – I let them sit in my brain for a bit.
These ideas of mine loitered for a year I’d say. There was huge potential and a lot of different paths to explore.
One plot really stuck out to me. One that I thought, “now that would make an awesome Netflix show.” More like it would make another great T. J. Blake novel!
Let’s talk now about your writing process.
What is your writing style like? Are you a pantster or a plotter?
I’m a huge plotter. It’s all about the plot for me!
My aim is to create a world where you are entertained and trying to guess what’s going to happen. Most of the time, you won’t guess mwahaha!
What’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing?
Show don’t tell!
What advice would you give someone who wants to start writing?
Keep going.
It’s tough writing a book, but actually it’s the editing and marketing that’s hardest. It’s quite draining, marketing your book; encouraging people to read your books. It takes time though, and you have to keep going.
Where can your readers follow you? Please list links to any applicable websites and/or social media accounts.
For the living, it’s closure. For the departed, it’s the last chance to expose the truth.
For as long as she can remember, Arabella has communicated with those who exist only in memory.
Being the center of attention growing up was uncomfortable, and now, as a renowned psychic medium, it is becoming more of a struggle. Arabella’s ability and reputation always made it impossible to hold onto lasting relationships, but with those who no longer walk this earth, that’s not the case.
Arabella returns to where it all began fifteen-years before – on the very same stage. After an evening reconnecting loved ones and exposing untold stories, Arabella can’t help but wonder about the one unclaimed ‘friend’, and their cryptic message.
In an unexpected turn of events, Arabella finds herself the subject of morning headlines and at the centre of Detective Barnes’ investigation.
Can Arabella use her ability to prove her innocence and uncover the truth about the past?
“Blake has the unerring skill on how to tell a good story… This is an author to watch. His talent is remarkable” Michelle Willms – Amazon.com
“Clever writing. Genuinely smart. It tells me we’re in the hands of an author who knows what he’s doing” Damien Seaman – Amazon.co.uk
“T. J. Blake has real talent and I am definitely looking forward to more novels from him in the future” Jaron Vail – Amazon.com
“Blake knows how to keep you glued to the story” Karen O – Amazon.com
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)
Nina Soden 