Guest Author Interview: R.A. McDonald

 

Please welcome today's guest author R.A. McDonald!  R.A. is the author of Rock Climbing in Oman and Ada Legend of a Healer.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

RA:  I realized my passion for writing about ten years ago, and have been working at it ever since. It wasn't until college that I really focused on education so it's been quite a learning process.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

RA:  I love hearing and thinking about unexplained occurrences, where even the most skeptical person has to shrug their shoulders because there is no scientific explanation. People have the power to do amazing things.

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
 
RA:  Out of all of the supernatural talents I would want the power to heal myself and others at a super human level, because the possibilities are endless.

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

RA:  I think readers will enjoy Ada because, like most of us, she struggles with life. Her power to heal adds serious chaos but also helps her to keep a step ahead of her stalkers. Ada's life is intense, fast paced and at times dark. She's a girl that likes to run full speed at all obstacles.

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

RA:   If my book was made a movie and I had a say in the casting, I would choose all unknown actors, because there's a lot of undiscovered talent out there.

Ada Legend of a Healer by R.A. McDonald.

No sickness, No injuries, No pain, No limits.  If you had the power to heal, what would you do?

For fifteen-year-old Ada discovering that she can heal feels more like a curse than a gift. When she learns of the mystery surrounding her mother's disappearance, and sees the indifference of so-called friends, she sets out for Paris to find her.  The power to heal protects her, but also has her hunted by a man who sees her as nothing more than his fountain of youth. Ada realizes her true power is her will to survive, and that her only chance at freedom is to become the best at escaping.


Thank you R.A. for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about R.A. McDonald and her books, please visit her website.

Book Review: Night of the Loving Dead

Night of the Loving Dead (Pepper Martin, book 4) by Casey Daniels.

Introducing sleuth Pepper Martin...And now, in her fourth hip, quirky mystery, she's all ours.  Pepper Martin, heiress-turned-cemetery- tour-guide, often has her hands full with two hotties and the ghosts who won't let her rest or work, or shop in peace.  Now the specter of a young woman in a lab coat wants Pepper's help. Before the woman died, she worked with a sexy, mysterious doctor who coincidentally once saved Pepper's life and who the woman claims is now in danger. But Pepper doesn't know that there's more to the story, including a devious doctor and an obsessive, crazy love.


Looking for a fashion-conscious detective to the dead?  Pepper Martin is a fun, spunky character with a penchant for getting in way over her curly red tresses.  Night of the Loving Dead is the fourth book in the Pepper Martin series, a book I grabbed from the bargain bin, and it was such a fun read that I'll be going back to check out the other books in this series.  Pepper can speak with the dead and uses her gift to solve mysteries for the ghosts she encounters.  Since she's not dead herself, she tends to get a bit distracted by the hot men she attracts with her good looks and unique style.  Who said you can't wear stiletto boots and a mini skirt to a cemetery...during a snowstorm?  A lighthearted blend of mystery, supernatural suspense, and paranormal romance.

I recommend Night of the Loving Dead (Pepper Martin, book 4) to readers of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, paranormal suspense, and especially to fans of paranormal mysteries.  Night of the Loving Dead may appeal to fans of the Weather Warden series by Rachel Caine and the Cassandra Palmer series by Karen Chance.

Sensitive reader warning: mild violence, sexual situations.

Source: This book was purchased by E.J. for review.

Night of the Loving Dead on Amazon.
Night of the Loving Dead on Goodreads.

Guest Author Interview: Lisa Papademetriou

Please welcome today's guest author Lisa Papademetriou!  Lisa is the author of Sixth-Grade Glommers, Norks, and Me, the Accidentally Series, The Wizard, the Witch, and Two Girls from Jersey, How to Be a Girly Girl in Just Ten Days, Drop, Chasing Normal, M or F?, and coming in August Siren's Storm.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Lisa:   It’s funny--when I give talks on writing at schools, I always ask, “Who here is a writer?” and, generally, almost everyone raises a hand. Even as a kid, I saw myself as a writer, and I think that even if I didn’t earn a living putting words on a page, I would still see myself as a writer. So, in that way, I guess I started writing the minute I learned the alphabet. It’s still amazing to me that so many stories and concepts, so many thoughts about the world and life, can be expressed with only 26 letters.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Lisa:   I’ve always loved fantasy--I used to sit in my room and draw maps of fantasy worlds, and come up with characters to inhabit them. I read fantasy nonstop: LeGuin, Lewis, Tolkien, Cooper, Alexander, L’ Engle. I always thought I would grow up to write high fantasy. A few years ago, I published my first fantasy novel, a parody called The Wizard, the Witch, and Two Girls from Jersey, which was an homage to some of my favorite books and authors. Siren’s Storm was born out of a dream I had, in which I saw a group of children treading water in a river, singing. Every now and again, one of the children would put a face in the water, and then look back up at me, and it slowly dawned on me that the children were waiting for something...something monstrous. I woke up and knew I had the beginning of a new story.

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

Lisa:  Actually, I would despise having a paranormal or supernatural talent. It seems like a horrible responsibility, a frightening and lonely experience. I’m currently working on a sequel to Siren’s Storm, and a lot of the story is about that.

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

Lisa:   Siren’s Storm is a thriller, with both romance and action, but it also has a lot of humor. I hope readers love the characters as much as I do!

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

Lisa:  I’d cast Emile Hirsch as Will. He’s able to portray the right kind of brooding vulnerability that I think Will needs. Emma Stone--if she had black hair--has the right look for Asia, although I’ve never seen her do anything that wasn’t a comedy. I’d like to see Gretchen played by someone like Emma Roberts. She’s a natural beauty in that girl-next-door way.

Siren's Storm by Lisa Papademetriou.

Nothing has been the same for Will ever since what happened last summer. One day, on an ordinary sailing trip with his brother, there is a strange accident. When Will wakes up, he learns his brother has disappeared, presumed drowned. Worst of all, Will can't remember what happened—his family finds him unconscious, with no memory of the accident.  Now Will and his best friend and neighbor, Gretchen, are starting a new summer. Gretchen seems troubled—her sleepwalking habit is getting worse, and she keeps waking up closer and closer to the water. Will is drawn to Asia, the exotic new girl in town. Nobody knows where she's from—all Will knows is that her beauty and her mesmerizing voice have a powerful effect on people.  Then there is another mysterious drowning, and Will and Gretchen begin to wonder: Is Asia just another beautiful, wealthy summer resident? Or is she something entirely more sinister . . . and inhuman?


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

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