Featured Author: Kharma Kelley

 
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Wicked Bayou Press
Publication Date: September 30, 2016
Pages: 214
Add to Goodreads
Buy: Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book

Half vampire. Half human. 100% Badass.

Chloe Hunter can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Incarcerated by The Bureau after running amok for a century with a brood of vampires, grifting and terrorizing humanity, she’s ready to make up for her dark past. Luckily, when The Bureau would rather see her at the end of a wooden stake, in comes her new straight-laced handsome boss, Ethan Raines, who’s got other plans for the seductive ex-con.

An enigmatic and sexy vampire who finds Chloe’s hybrid blood and street prowess too irresistible to pass up, Ethan requests The Bureau to release her into his custody to protect the streets of New Orleans. Now, her debt to society is to punish other supernaturals who break the law and bring them to justice.

When Chloe’s creepy old gang involves her in a plot to unlock a mysterious box, she’s forced to make some hard choices that threaten to betray the trust of the man who’s given her a second chance at life and love. Ethan may have his work cut out for him in Tall, Dark & Deadly, the first steamy New Adult Paranormal Romance blockbuster in the Agents of The Bureau supernatural romance series!

Interview

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?

Sure! I was born and raised in Texas to a pair of Cajun parents. I was a Tomboy growing up, despite my Dad trying so hard to keep me a lady. Now my husband still fights that battle LOL. I’ve been writing fiction since I was 13 and after my much older friend smuggled me some romance books, I was smitten. I fell in love with romance and urban fantasies and it keeps me plenty busy. I venture into many genres of fiction, but I always come back to paranormal romance.

 

What inspired you to write?

I’ve always enjoyed writing, but I think it was my brother that continued to inspire me to keep writing. We both were big movie buffs and loved creating dialogue, so we both got into screenwriting. Mark continued on that path, but I kept exploring writing in different styles of fiction. I remember telling him that I was a bit embarrassed to write romance because so many people looked down on it. He told me to forget what others think and to just write for myself because I enjoy it. After that discussion, I wrote what I enjoyed and never looked back.

 

What inspired your novel?

It’s so funny it turned into a full-length novel! When I first started “Tall, Dark & Deadly”, I wanted to make a short story. I’ve always found making short stories challenging because I always end up fleshing it out more and more until it turns into a full length. I had written my first draft of my other book, “Selenium Night”, but wasn’t ready to publish it. I wanted to write something short and sweet–a “friends turn lovers” story with different characters–but not another full-length book. My rationale was to make a fun short story in the same vein of urban fantasy/paranormal romance to put out to the masses to see how people would like my style and storylines. Only then, would I have decided to be brave enough to put my full-length novel out there. (Laughs) Well, that was blown away after I decided to write it on Wattpad. Turned out, writing the story through the app forced me to think big picture and for the first time, really help me understand how to pace my story and keep my little audience engaged. Thanks to the readers on Wattpad, the story became something bigger than I ever hoped for. It was amazing, so I just ran with it. Chloe and Ethan were too fun to turn away and I’m glad I didn’t.

 

What is the genre?

It’s a Paranormal Romance with strong Urban Fantasy elements.

 

What draws you to this genre?

Oh my gosh, I LOVE world building! There are some amazing authors out there who possess such a beautiful imagination to create entire worlds that readers can wrap themselves in. As an avid reader of the genre, I could always appreciate the level of dedication it takes for an author to spin up a new reality for us to enjoy. Urban Fantasy is just so much fun and my generation was inundated with it growing up with “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel.” That’s why I just had to mention Buffy in the book regardless of how dated it made the book feel. I wanted to pay homage 🙂 I know this generation is all about “The Vampire Diaries” (which has become my guilty pleasure), but when I started falling in love with writing and reading paranormal romance/urban fantasy, it was all about Miss kickass Buffy!

But seriously, I love spooky things and creatures finding love. There’s something intriguing about strong women finding love in all the “wrong” places in the world of fantasy. Of angels, demons, ghosts, werewolves and your occasional blood sucker, all these paranormal metaphors are catalysts of what humans are and crave most…that we’re all different, beautiful and a little bit weird–and just want someone to love us for who we are.

 

How did you develop your plot and your characters?

I’m a recovering pantser, so I actually started with the character development. I knew I wanted a strong female character who was far from perfect. I wanted her to have a past where she was a bad guy and collide with a goody two-shoes. One of the themes in the story is redemption and that’s what Chloe wants. She wants people to trust her. That’s pretty hard though when you come out of incarceration and everyone is judging you. You may have served your time, but the judgement never really stops. That kinda adversity can do two things: it can force you to shut down and give up or it can fire you up and make you prove to the world you don’t need their approval and get on with your life. Chloe obviously took the latter.

It also doesn’t help that she’s a vampire-human hybrid. In that world, she’s actually the freak. She doesn’t belong and anytime you feel that level of exclusion from society, it’s gonna drive a bigger wedge between you and what society thinks. I think Chloe’s a badass because she’s got so much working against her, but still, she doesn’t let it break her. She’s my hero.

On the flip side, I probably didn’t imagine her hero, Ethan, such a prim and proper authority figure at first. He kinda developed that way organically. Because Chloe is so out there and gung-ho, it would’ve been absolute chaos without giving her some sort of an anchor. I needed a sage mentor for her. Someone who was wiser, older and on some level relate to Chloe and accept her for who she is. Ethan has seen so much and been around for so long, nothing should really amaze him. But somehow, something possesses him to take a chance on a hybrid ex-con and bring her on his team. So either he was bored or saw something in Chloe that he hadn’t seen before 🙂

In developing the plot, I kept thinking about interviews I watched and read about street gangs and small time criminals when they get out on parole. You aren’t supposed to connect with any felons per your parole release. You have a list of rules long as your arm to obey or else you go back in. It had me thinking about the gang Chloe ran with. The ones that got away would still be up to their hell-raising ways, while she was forced to walk the straight and narrow. So I thought, “Okay, I have to get the Boyettes to do something foul and in doing so, Chloe will already raise suspicions because it’s sadly ‘guilt by association’.” She’ll have to prove her loyalty to The Bureau and Ethan. What the Boyettes are up to can destroy and unravel a lot for not just The Bureau, but the world, so it’s game on to retrieve the box!

 

What inspired your protagonist?

Chloe is beautifully human. She’s flawed and hopeful and wants to be accepted. However, she’s also a “bad girl.” She’s tough and has this tenacity to her that makes the story work. When I thought about the ideal heroine for this book, I pictured her sitting in a jail cell, having this feeling of regret and resentment. She made some mistakes, and she sat back and let things happen instead of speaking up. Lots of us have experienced that kind of regret. It’s pretty character-forming, you know–having to live with a mistake where you are almost certain wouldn’t have happened if you’d just stepped up and said/done something. It doesn’t make you horrible, it just makes you human. So when I thought of a heroine, I wanted her to be someone who was destined to set things right.

 

What inspired your antagonist?

I’m a bit obsessed with villains who are a bit sociopathic. I’ve always read about the kinda gangs that were in the streets in New York at the turn of the century and there were some seriously bad guys. Twisted, hard-nosed guys that got away with a lot of wickedness. Inspiration to have a gang of brothers, the Boyettes, came from reading about the gangs like The Dead Rabbits and the Bowery Boys. Alistair is taunting and cruel, but he loves his brothers. He believes in family, but above all, he’s territorial and isn’t afraid to shock. He and his brothers didn’t get enough love before they turned and it spoiled them for all eternity.

 

What was the hardest part to write in the book?

The action! Don’t get me wrong I LOVE action! It’s not a shock that it found its way into my Paranormal Romance books. But, I wasn’t used to writing action in my style. I had to find my own rhythm and educate myself a LOT on realistic fighting as well as how to actually write action that wasn’t so technical it was boring or so abstract readers couldn’t visualize. That part was really tough.

 

What was your favourite part of your book to write?

It would have to be the mellow downtime in the story where Chloe and Ethan get to connect. The story is so fast paced, I welcomed the time where they could stop for a minute and get to know each other better. Ethan is so closed and reserved, it’s very hard to figure out what he’s thinking, at least from Chloe’s POV. When they calm down and talk, it’s downright touching and often hilarious.

 

Are you a full time or a part time writer? If part time, what do you do besides write?

When I’m not writing, I lead a team of fantastic techies at an Austin-based software company. I love doing anything creative, so if I’m not writing, I’m painting, reading, drawing, knitting–you name it! It all fights the dreaded writer’s block!

 

What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading a collection of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter short stories titled “Love Bites.” It’s making me happy 🙂

 

Who would you say are your favourite authors?

I’m always on the lookout for the new and rising authors, but Gena Showalter writes some sizzling paranormal romance! Sherrilyn Kenyon’s magnum opus of world building keeps me inspired and giddy. Kresley Cole makes me need a glass of ice water nearby to read her work and L.A. Banks is reigning champ on urban fantasy with her “Vampire Huntress” Series. The writing world continues to miss her imagination and craft.

 

What are your future projects, if any?

Yes! I have a 2nd book to add to the Agents of the Bureau series. Leto’s story is in the works and if you read “Tall, Dark & Deadly,” I think you’ll understand why 😉 Also, I have another series I will start next year based on werewolf-like creatures called “ShadowShifters.” Yep, “Selenium Night” will be in the works for publication.

 

What is your preferred method for readers to get in touch with you and your books?

Feel free to stalk me on Facebook or Twitter as I hang on those a lot. Readers can always email me–I’ll always respond 🙂

Other Links:
Website | Goodreads | Amazon | YouTube | Smashwords

 

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Two words: just write! Doesn’t matter how rough it comes out if you feel it sucks. Just write it! Let your imagination run wild and let your writing make its own path. Remember, you can always go back and re-tweak it. I just have one published book under my belt and I don’t plan on stopping there. The best thing a writer can do to hone their craft is practice and that only happens by writing. So stop finding excuses and write every day. Things will get better. Just write!

Featured Author: James Field

 
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publication Date: August 11, 2016
Add to Good Reads

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Book

Sean meets Penelope, a zany woman with whom he instantly clicks. She confides in him that she has suffered an abusive relationship in her past at the hands of her ex-husband, who orchestrated a ‘Gaslighting’ campaign against her. Gaslighting, Sean discovers, is a means by which an abuser is able to psychologically manipulate his victim by making changes to her immediate environment and by presenting false or ambiguous information with the aim of making her doubt her own memory, perceptions and sanity.

Penelope has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. She informs Sean that her ex-husband employed Gaslighting to cunningly engineer her psychiatric diagnosis with this mental disorder characterised by psychosis and perceptual dysfunction, and then planned and perpetrated an act of sexual assault in the knowledge that this diagnosis would allow him to evade prosecution on the grounds that her testimony would be afforded little credibility. She gives Sean a disturbing account in which she asserts that her abuser was able to cover up his emotional and sexual abuse by both exploiting her diagnosis and engaging in a ruthless act of blackmail.

In time Sean develops a deep connection to Penelope. He reveals to her some troubling memories of his childhood and she helps him to gain an insightful understanding of the ways in which emotionally wounding past experiences are continuing to exercise a detrimental influence upon his current day-to-day life, that manifest as a predisposition for exhibiting an excessively hypervigilant fear of ridicule, humiliation and rejection. She inspires him to believe that he can heal from these fears by embracing a journey of personal growth and recovery.

However, before long Sean begins to suspect that Penelope may be hiding her true intentions…..

The Gaslighteur is a work of both literary fiction and darkly disturbing psychological fiction that offers a fascinating and in-depth exploration of a range of issues, including Gaslighting/The Gaslight Effect, emotional and psychological abuse, sociopathic and psychopathic behaviour and narcissistic personality disorder. The story also embraces a critique of the dominant influence of psychiatry upon the mental health system, and promotes the concepts of healing, recovery and personal growth.

The Gaslighteur is every bit as disturbing as it is thought-provoking, and is a must-read for those of you who love literary fiction or psychological fiction, and for those of you who have an interest in the response of the mental health system to individuals’ experiences of mental and emotional distress.

Interview

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I grew up in Bromsgrove, a small town just south of Birmingham. I gained a BA Honours Degree in Humanities at the ages of 22, and then at the age of 25 I gained an MSc in Social Research.

I love the great outdoors, cricket, badminton and chess. My favourite band is Queen.

What inspired you to write?

I have a strong desire to use the vehicle of writing to break down the stigma surrounding ‘mental illness’, and to raise awareness that, as a society, we need to change the way that individuals who experience mental and emotional distress are perceived and treated.

What inspired your novel?

My novel is inspired by my own experiences in real life! It is inspired by my own close friendship and romance with a deeply charismatic yet enigmatic woman from my past. Alas, she is lost to me now. She remains a puzzle inside a conundrum inside a mystery.

What is the genre?

It falls into the psychological thriller genre, and also into the literary fiction genre.

What draws you to this genre?

Literary fiction appeals to me greatly, as there is a focus on the feelings and emotions of the characters. The psychological thriller genre also appeals to me- the potential of an innocent victim who appears to find himself facing a deranged adversary…..

How did you develop your plot and your characters?

The plot is informed by and developed around the concept of ‘gaslighting’, a horrendous method of psychological manipulation, in which the perpetrator attempts to manipulate the victim’s environment and perception of reality, to the extent that the victim comes to continually doubt his or her own perceptions, memory and sanity. The term ‘gaslighting’ derives from the film ‘Gaslight’, in which a villainous husband attempts to manipulate his wife’s environment, and convince her that she is going insane. The film is set during a time in England when houses were lit by gaslight. In his secret visits to the house’s attic, the husband turns the attic lights on, reducing the flow of gas to the downstairs lights, causing them to flicker, and alternately dim and brighten. When his wife later divulges to him that she can sometimes hear footsteps coming from above her in the attic- which she believes to be sealed- and that she can sometimes see the downstairs gaslights flickering for no apparent reason, he suggests to her that these are figments of her imagination, and evidence that she is going insane. Hence the term, ‘gaslighting’.

In my story, Sean develops an intimate friendship with Penelope, who puts forward a convincing case that he is prone to exhibiting a hypervigilant fear of humiliation in the course of day to day life, as a consequence of the lingering effects of past emotionally wounding experiences. Sean believes that her insights are truthful and well-founded. Then he experiences what he perceives to be several humiliating incidents at Penelope’s hands, but each incident is shrouded in ambiguity, which allows for an innocent and harmless interpretation of her actions. When he divulges his concerns to Penelope, she persuasively convinces him that his fears are evidence that he is falsely perceiving threat, and exhibiting a hypervigilant fear of humiliation. As a result, Sean is pitched into a state of mental turmoil characterised by doubt and bewildered uncertainty, one moment believing that she has indeed engaged in actively humiliating behaviour, and yet the very next moment chastising himself for succumbing, as she had warned, to this habit of making false perceptions of threat born of a hypervigilant fear of humiliation, now resulting in accusations being levelled against a woman of whom he is intensely fond.

The mental turmoil and the sheer intensity of the sense of doubt and uncertainty that Sean experiences eventually reaches a maddening pitch, whereupon he is forced to face a dreadful possibility: could Penelope be perpetrating a gaslighting campaign against him…..?

What inspired your protagonist?

It might be said that there is some ambiguity surrounding which character is the protagonist. Both of the leading characters are inspired by my own experiences in real life!

What inspired your antagonist?

It might be said that there is some ambiguity surrounding which character is the antagonist. Like I say, both of the leading characters are inspired by my own experiences in real life!

What was the hardest part to write in the book?

The hardest part was conveying the sense of maddening doubt, uncertainty and confusion that Sean experiences.

Sean also suffers from social phobia, and it was at times challenging to convey to the reader an authentic understanding of the ways in which this form of mental and emotional distress affects the sufferer’s day to day life.

What was your favourite part of your book to write?

I enjoyed the book all the way through, but one of my favourite parts is Sean’s deliberation and contemplation upon the concepts of psychopathy and narcissistic personality disorder.

 Are you a full time or a part time writer? If part time, what do you do besides write?

I work full time in the customer service line of work, and I write whenever I get the chance and the muse strikes.

What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading a collection of Roald Dahl’s short stories. The collection is entitled ‘Madness’.

Who would you say are your favourite authors?

My favourite authors are JRR Tolkien, Iain Banks, Roald Dahl, George Orwell and Jane Austen. Terry Pratchett deserves a mention too.

How about your favourite books? What would be your top 5?

That’s a tough question! 5) Roald Dahl’s collection of short stories entitled ‘Madness’ 4) The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks 3) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 2) Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien 1) 1984 by George Orwell

What are your future projects, if any?

I am considering writing a sequel to The Gaslighteur. I may try my hand at short stories too. I am also becoming interested in the concept of the Imposter Syndrome, and ideas are brewing in connection with that…..

What is your preferred method for readers to get in touch with you and your books?

Readers are welcome to email me at illuminat2000@googlemail.com. Readers are also welcome to leave me a comment on my website at thegaslighteur.weebly.com To do so, they will just need to click on the icon in the top left hand of the screen, and then choose ‘Order your copy of The Gaslighteur, now available as an e-book’, whereupon the comment box will appear. The quickest route to purchasing my book is my Amazon Author Page: Amazon.com/author/fieldjames

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

I would say that aspiring authors need to write about whatever impassions them. When the ideas repeatedly impinge upon the conscious mind, and you find that delaying the writing becomes a real bugbear to you, that means it’s time to begin your writing journey. Set time aside for writing and adopt a very disciplined approach. And having a second and third pair of eyes is a good idea, because we tend to have a little bit of a blind spot when it comes to our own mistakes! Having our mistakes highlighted to us is a valuable part of our personal growth as writers. Therefore, eliciting the help of an editor can be advisable.

Spotlight Interview with author Billy Miner

 

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background? 
The funny thing is, I never started writing much before, because I didn’t think there was any money to be made. There are millions of books in the world, and how was I going to make mine stand out from the rest? There was no way. I did, however, have a knack for storytelling, and my younger sister and others were always intrigued when I made up plots on the spot. I am 34 years old. I have a wife and 1 daughter. We live in the United States, and publishing books has become my full-time job.

What inspired you to write?
At first, I illustrated books. I have a passion for drawing as well as storytelling. Then I created my own books, but they didn’t take off. I wondered what I was doing wrong and started looking for answers on Youtube. That’s when I bumped into all these “gurus” who were making thousands of dollars with Kindle publishing. And once I found out the trick, I started writing my own books.

What inspired your novel?
My book is actually a combination of short stories. The Minecraft game has become more popular, and I took the opportunity to see if these books would sell. So I came up with stories about pigmen with split personalities, little war stories that related to Robin Hood or other movies I’ve seen, and funny conversations I could put into the books.

What is the genre?
Youth fiction, obviously, probably for kids between 8 and 14.

What draws you to this genre?
Honestly, I like to make up short stories, and I am really proud of some of them, like the Minecraft Superhero, where the main character foresees the future and then goes out to change it.

How did you develop your plot and your characters?
I based the plots and characters off of other books, movies, and video games. When you write 50 books, you have to start getting really creative after a while, because each story should be different.

What inspired your protagonist?
The protagonists are always the heroes or heroines. They either want to solve a mystery, rescue their beloved friend or family member, or prevent the village or city from being destroyed.

What inspired your antagonist?
Since these are kids’ stories, the villains aren’t very complicated. Sometimes they reveal some hurt feelings, but most times, they’re just pure evil.

What was the hardest part to write in the book?
Coming up with a completely different story each time.

What was your favourite part of your book to write?
When I got great ideas, like the first story about being prepared to be a king, or the Minecraft Girls story where two completely different girls are friends but have a hard time getting along.

Are you a full time or a part time writer? If part time, what do you do besides write?
Full time. When you know how to leverage Kindle, Createspace, and ACX platforms, you can make a ton of money.

What are you currently reading?
Books about copywriting. I want to become better at that.

Who would you say are your favourite authors?
You know, the funny thing is that I never read a lot of novels, and it’s because I always preferred comic books. Like I said, I had a passion for drawing and images, so I was very visual. I read a lot of “Spawn” comics, and in Europe, Asterix.

How about your favourite books? What would be your top 5?
Mmmm… I don’t know about the entire top 5, but one of my favorites has always been “A Little Princess” by Frances Hodgson Burnett (did I spell that right?) The messages about selflessness and imagination are so inspiring in that book. I love it.

What are your future projects, if any?
More Minecraft books. I am working on some Self Adventures now, where the reader gets to choose his or her own direction and determine the plot that way.

What is your preferred method for readers to get in touch with you and your books? Email. billyminer2@yahoo.com
Good Reads

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Do your keyword research on Amazon! If your book is great but your keyword isn’t, your books won’t sell. It’s as simple as that. Learn the tricks of putting your books on Kindle, Createspace, and ACX. There are techniques and tricks that will help boost your income. There are courses about those things, so check them out. Some people have courses, like Stefan James, Luca De Stefani, Jason Bracht, Tom Corson-Knowles, Nick Stephenson, and others, who are making tons of money with publishing. They know what they’re doing.