Paranormal Guest Author: Kendare Blake (Anna Dressed in Blood)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Kendare Blake!  Kendare is the author of Sleepwalk Society and Anna Dressed in Blood.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Kendare:  First novel, 7th grade. First complete novel, 9th grade. First novel that didn't completely suck, not until after my undergrad.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Kendare:  The horror and paranormal genre was my first love when it came to reading. By the time I started writing seriously, I was reading mostly literary fiction, so that's what I wrote. I don't know why it took me so long to get back, but it feels like I never left.

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

Kendare:  If I could have one supernatural talent, it would be some kind of alien thing, like being able to manipulate the molecular structure of things. Turning an apple into a cupcake, stuff like that. Why would I want that? Because then I could turn apples into cupcakes. Oh, it would be awesome.

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

Kendare:  I hope readers will enjoy Anna Dressed in Blood, because...because... I mean, I suppose there are a lot of reasons that I HOPE they like it. I hope they find it scary. I hope they find it well-paced and well-written. But I really hope readers enjoy the characters. I have a hard time saying, "My book is this" or "My book is that" because it might not be either of those things to the readers.

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

Kendare:  I think Summer Glau from Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles would be a good Anna, if she were younger. She's got a great watchful curiosity about her, a very quiet presence. But she can also tear your head off.

A younger Kevin Zegers would make a good Cas, because he plays just a hair of vulnerability pretty well. And Cas looks like him. Hair always in his eyes.

Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna Dressed in Blood, #1) by Kendare Blake

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home. But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.


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

To learn more about Kendare Blake and her books, please visit her website.

Guest Author Interview: Donald Kirch

Please welcome today's guest author Donald Kirch.  Donald is the author of Manchester House, The Christ Project, The Misadventures of Ka-Ron the Knight, and Still Waters.  Donald Kirch is a master of the paranormal genre and has had the singular experience of being attacked by a ghost while spending two weekends in the famous haunted "Sallie House".  Read his interview below to learn more!

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Donald:   I began writing when I was about thirteen years old. My family moved around a lot during my childhood, and I was always "The New Kid" in school. That could be difficult for a little guy, and I was a shy one anyway. So, I used to make up characters in my mind, write them down on paper, and try out my own adventures. Kind'a like D&D but with no rules to stop me. And, after a while, the stories turned into adventures, and the adventures soon became a part of who I am now. I could not see myself being anything other than what I am.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Donald:   As a child, I loved tv shows such as "In Search Of.." or "One Step Beyond." These thrilled my imagination. In today's society, all the magic has been explained away. What I love about the paranormal genre, is that there are adventures, people, and places that challenge science and the world as we know it. I do not want to know everything. I want some MAGIC in my life.

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

Donald:  To fight evil. I have seen way too much of it in this life, and if I could, I would love to tackle it to the ground, place it in a box, and throw it into the deepest and darkest hole I could find. To be able to read other's minds would be cool!

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

Donald:   It is not your typical "haunted house" story. I was once attacked by a ghost, while visiting "The Sallie House" in Atchison, Kansas. The experience helped open my eyes to the possibilities of an "after life."
While going down some stairs of this house, I felt a pair of hands push at my shoulders, and another pair pull at my ankles. I almost had some serious injuries. Made me a "believer!" Made this story worth writing.

EJ:  If your book 'Manchester House' were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Donald:   Here's how I would cast it:

Professor Holzer: Robert Downey, Jr.
Ingrid Night: Max Von Sydow
Lars: Leonardo DiCaprio
Sinclar: Benicio Del Toro
Miranda: Jessica Alba
Theresa: Zoe Saldana
Lars: Johnny Depp

Director: Tim Burton

This would be a great movie because there are so many storylines, flashbacks, and legendary creatures involved. Some characters are bigger than life and would require actors with depth and range to recreate them on the screen. I hope to one day obtain that goal.

Manchester House by Donald Kirch.

Manchester House was built upon secrets and blood. Even the land upon which it was built was considered…bad.
ITEM: Native Americans for untold centuries believed that if a bird flew over the property it would die.

ITEM: On the forced “Trail of Tears” march to Oklahoma, a rival tribe invaded a campsite of a sworn enemy, resting upon the property, decapitated the women and cooked their heads. No reason was ever given.

ITEM: While traveling to Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Grant had an experience that changed his life forever – he never would say what.

ITEM: On his travels, Grant lost an entire squad of soldiers, two field surgeons, a team of horses and mules, and one Gatlin gun. No explanation given. Grant, himself, refused to investigate.

No one in the town wanted to admit that the ancient house even existed. All homes facing the ruin had their windows boarded shut. All roads to the thing were blocked, overgrown, or forbidden.

Manchester House was a beacon of evil at the center of a small Kansas Town with a dark and mysterious past that would not go away. All tried to forget it even existed -- until the police had to bring the bodies out.

When a group of professional "ghost hunters" explore a local haunted house, they descend into absolute darkness and terror, learning the incredible truth behind the legend of MANCHESTER HOUSE.

My review of Manchester House by Donald Kirch coming soon!

Thank you Donald for joining us here today at From the Shadows!  For information about Donald Kirch and his books please visit his website.