Q+A with Cathy Clamp (Forbidden)

Please welcome today's guest author, Cathy Clamp!  Cathy is the author of The Thrall trilogy, the Blood Singer series, the Tales of the Sazi series, and the new Sazi spin-off series Luna Lake, including the new release FORBIDDEN.

Q+A with Cathy Clamp

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Cathy:  I started pretty late in life, around 35 years old. It was sort of by accident and I discovered I was good at it.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Cathy:  I don’t know that I could write anything else. LOL! It’s sort of where my mind goes when I start imagining plots. I’ve read horror and paranormal and thrillers my whole life, so it’s what I write.

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Cathy:  I would be a witch, closer to a Harry Potter sort who could use a wand to cast spells. I think I would probably be a Hermione, who studied everything and wanted to know all the spells. I don’t really know why. It would just be cool.

EJ:  Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release?

Cathy:  A lot of readers of the Tales of the Sazi series asked whatever happened to the children who were kidnapped. Since I was dealing with the actual battle between the Sazi council and the snake shifters causing the problems, I really didn’t get a chance to answer the questions about those who were changed against their will.

The three heroines of FORBIDDEN, ILLICIT and DENIED were some of the attack victims of the snakes. Claire Evans, the heroine of the first book, was changed into a red wolf. Rachel Washington became a Great Horned Owl, and Anica Petrovic became a black bear. Each of them has a form of PTSD and needs to find that one person who makes her feel safe and loved. :)

EJ:  If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Cathy:  I always pick the people I have in mind for the character when I first start writing. I’m a visual person and I have to have them firmly in my mind before I start to write. Claire Evans was modeled after Kate Bosworth, but with shorter hair. The inspiration for Alek Siska was a hunky Canadian model named Devon from Fresh Face Male Models agency. Look them up and you’ll know sort of what they look like in my head.

Thank you Cathy for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

Forbidden (Luna Lake #1) by Cathy Clamp

USA Today bestselling author Cathy Clamp reboots the Sazi universe in Forbidden, a tightly-paced, high-tension urban fantasy thriller.

Ten years have passed since the war that destroyed the Sazi Council and inflicted a horrible "cure" on thousands of Sazi, robbing them of their ability to shapeshift.

Luna Lake, isolated in Washington State, started as a refugee camp for Sazi orphans. Now it's a small town and those refugees are young adults, chafing at the limits set by their still-fearful guardians.

There's reason to fear: Sazi children are being kidnapped. Claire, a red wolf shifter, is sent to investigate. Held prisoner by the Snakes during childhood, Claire is distrusted by those who call Luna Lake home.

Before the war, Alek was part of a wolf pack in Chicago. In Luna Lake he was adopted by a parliament of Owls, defying Sazi tradition. The kidnappings are a painful reminder that his little sister disappeared a decade ago.

When Claire and Alek meet, sparks fly—but the desperate race to find the missing children forces them to set aside their mutual attraction and focus on the future of their people.

Release Date: August 18, 2015
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Add to Goodreads.

To learn more about Cathy Clamp and her books, please visit her website.  Have a question for Cathy?  Ask in the comment section below.  We love comments!

Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Whispering Bluff with Selene Charles

Come on boys and ghouls!  It's time to hop on Route 666 for a spooktacular Paranormal Road Trip.

This week's stop is Whispering Bluff, Tennessee and our special guide is Selene Charles, author of the Tempted urban fantasy series, including the new release FORBIDDEN.

Whispering Bluff's Top 5 Spooky Places

1. The Whispering Bluff Park.  A place of such serene natural beauty, oaks and maple trees tower high into the sky. A natural pond full of koi fish, and idyllic trails for the walking enthusiasts is what you see when you first get to the park. But what the locals know and none of the guidebooks warn you about is that the place is haunted by the souls of the five dead girls who’d been murdered by a serial killer. A killer who’s never been caught, but rumor has it that on still, silent nights you can sometimes hear the wailing cries of the victims whispering their killer’s name.

2. Whispering Bluff High School.  Yeah, the school. Just like with the rest of the town first appearances are entirely deceptive. This school isn’t just run by the geeks, jocks, and cheerleaders. But hidden in plain sight roam monsters. Word of caution, if you see someone wearing sunglasses in class, look the other way. You’ve been warned.

3. Carnival Diabolique.  A roving carnival with some of the most amazing acrobatics, flyers, and magicians around. There’s just one thing about these sideshow freaks the pamphlets failed to warn you about, every last one of them is a demon. Better make sure you’ve been a good boy or girl before you decide to visit though, as the demons have been known to make a light snack of those full of too much sin.

4. The hole.  A quarry on the outskirts of town, just a giant hole with water in it the local boys and girls like to take a dip in on really muggy Tennessee nights. But that hole is deep and hides secrets that would terrify most.

5. The abandoned tire manufacturing spot on Main street.  Taken over by a gang of monsters known only as hive, the Queen has a penchant for concocting freaky science experiments in her makeshift lab, and in order to create her army she needs bodies. Lots of bodies. Is there a correlation between the serial killings and the Hive? Possibly. But that’s a secret the Queen will take to her grave.

Thank you Selene for giving us such a haunting tour of Whispering Bluff!  

To learn more about Selene Charles and her books, please visit her Goodreads author page.  You can add the Tempted urban fantasy series here on Goodreads.

Have you ever visited Tennessee?  Ever had a paranormal experience in Tennessee?

What did you think of Selene's picks for spooky places?

On our last Paranormal Road Trip we visited New Harbor with Matthew Quinn Martin.  Next week we'll be traveling to Barcelona with T. Frohock.

Join us for another spine-tingling Paranormal Road Trip...
if you dare!