Thank you B.C. BROWN for inviting me to be a part of your blog tour for:
A Touch of Darkness and Touch of Madness
Book Blurbs
Abigail St. Michael, a former cop, has joined the recently growing ranks of metaphysicals, individuals with abilities outside that of normal human nature. When a murderer stalks her town killing children, Abbey uses her ability of touch clairvoyance to hunt him down. Her only roadblock is that her murderer seems to have his own unique talent, the ability to 'wipe' his victims and their surroundings of any metaphysical energy. With little physical evidence and no supernatural evidence, Abbey is forced to rely on instinct and luck to solve the case. However both Abbey's luck and instinct seem to have taken a permanent vacation as the victims keep piling up with the killer's escalating blood lust.
Abbey St. Michael, former cop and psychic consultant, is trapped in a tricky situation. When her ex-husband enlists her specialized help in bringing his new fiancee's killer to justice, Abbey finds herself obligated by guilt to take a case she knows is bad news both professionally and personally. But when her former boss gives her the evidence collected to date, Abbey realizes this case may end up being worse than she thought. With the clock ticking to prove the killer's guilt, she needs to assuage herself of her ex-husband's guilt and rectify her professional life with her personal life. But when the murders take a turn, Abbey realizes this case may end up changing her life and her future forever.
About the Author
B.C. Brown was born with six fingers on each hand endowing her with super powers, thus enabling her to fight crime. When a freak Cuisinart accident severed the additional digits and her powers, B.C. was forced to fall back on her secondary talent -writing. Now she lives between the pages of a book - whether she has written it or not. Since she has not found the surgeon to restore her fingers and powers, she has published three novels to date and contributed to one anthology. She enjoys writing mystery, paranormal romance, science fiction and fantasy but is always in the mood for a challenge to branch out. You can follow her crime fighting or writing at her blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Goodreads.
Author Interview
Please describe TOUCH OF DARKNESS in 25 words or
less:
Love
sucks. Add a murderer stalking your town. Oh, yeah, and knowing every detail of
your lover's life because you're a clairvoyant.
What inspires you to your stories?
I
find constant inspiration around me. In my dreams, in everyday life. I simply
make it weirder. But my biggest
inspiration to write is the fact that I'd go mad if I didn't. Yeah, yeah, very cliched
sounding, I know. But, really, if I didn't write I wouldn't know how to fill my
down time. I have very little talent in other areas of my life - passable
dancer, banshee-wail of a singing voice, my stick figures are lopsided, black
and two left thumbs for gardening and crafts. What I do have is the ability to
make words play nice together. I figure, since I am lackluster in most other
aspects of my life, I should put a little time and effort into that which I did
come by naturally. And that's pretty good inspiration on a whole.
Do you have a special place you write?
As
long as I have my laptop, I could care less where I write. Relative comfort is
a requirement, however. And the ability to balance the laptop on something
sturdy and stable. I drum fingers when I'm stuck.
Do you have a playlist while writing, anything
special you do while you write?
It's
hardly a secret anymore, but I require gummy bears to write. I set them up like
rows of gooey soldiers and pop them from time to time to keep the Muse fueled
and happy. As for music, I can't stand it while writing. But I can't live
without it while editing.
What do you do when you get writers block?
I
sit and stare at that @#$$&ing cursor more than I type. And I type a lot.
Writer's Block (the dreaded WB) comes to every writer. And those who claim
they've never had it are fibbing. Big time. WB is as inevitable in writing as
laryngitis is to a singer. What I do about it, however, is maybe a little
different than other writers. Whenever I find myself blocked from writing, I
pen faster, harder, and more often. But
you're blocked?! That's what you're saying right? Well, yes; I am. But only
on that project. For whatever reason, my chatty Cathy characters have zipped
lip and shunned me. Contrary to their ego, however, they aren't the only game
in town. Plenty of other characters are muscling in, demanding a little time
from me. I can work on other projects. Nothing is set in stone for release
dates. 1-2 unspecified projects a
year allow me wiggle room.
How long does it take you to write a story?
Some
stories work their way out of me in a short amount of time. Others are more...
difficult. On average, though, it takes about ten months for me to start and
finish a WIP. Then there is final editing, beta reading, and book formatting.
One project takes me (approximately) sixteen months to complete. Of course, I
could probably cut this down considerably if I didn't work on so many different
projects at once.
How many books have you written? Are they part
of a series?
I
have written three full-length novels. I've contributed to one short story
anthology. My first novel (published under a pen name) is part of a fantasy
trilogy. The other two books, however, are hung up in litigation with the
publisher. My second and third novels are paranormal mysteries (or romance,
depending on who you ask) and are part of the same basic series. While each
novel could be read in specific order, they are stand alone books. Since they
have the same heroine in each, however, reading them in order would be more
insightful to her emotional development as a character. But not necessary.
She's just plain fun no matter what order you read the books.
What other project are you working on?
Well,
it would be specifying but... I'll go ahead and speak up. I'm working on
several projects. I'm a renowned (insane) multi-tasker. So here goes: a
spin-off book from my paranormal world in my most recent novels; a third book
in my current paranormal series; a short fiction anthology of all my work; a
post-apocalyptic romance; and a possible second spin-off of my paranormal world
(only roughly thought out and outlined, so no promises!). This doesn't even
include the two separate fantasy novels I'm tinkering with, or the two other
romance/mysteries I'm considering.
If your book(s) were made into a TV Series, what
actors would you choose to play your characters?
I've
been asked this several times. In truth, I have a very hard time deciding. I
would certainly want someone who meets the physical requirements of each character
but also has the right acting chops to pull them off. Since I know very little
about directing, producing, or casting a film, I'd have to rely on those
professionals' inputs. I do favor Leo DiCaprio in just about anything he's
done. And I'm fond of Erika Alexander as an actress. They would both be great
for leading roles for my current paranormal series.
What is your favorite paranormal movie?
Poltergeist.
Love ghosts and most anything to do with them.
Who are your favorite authors?
I
have gads of favorite writers. Nearly every novel I've ever picked up has
influenced my writing in one manner or other - either challenging me to better
my skill or challenging me to put out a work better so readers don't run away,
screaming, forever. It would be incredibly difficult to list all or even part
of my favorites. But these novelists inspired me to be a better writer: George
R.R. Martin, Jacqueline Carey, George Orwell, Terry Brooks, and Neil Gaiman.
Do you read the genre’s you write?
Yes
and no. I am very selective about the paranormal books I choose. I am not a
overt fan of vampires or were-creatures. Most of the stories bore me. But I do
love ghosts, paranormal abilities like ESP, etc., and other paranormal
creatures like fairies etc. I am also a big fan of murder mysteries. I
especially love a good, well-written who-done-it. And I do read romance from
time to time. Usually one with a good mystery. I devour fantasy novels,
however.
What are your next 5 books on your too be read
pile?
Just
five? Wow, that limits it. Not including book reviews I need to complete. There
is: Before The Fall by Orna Ross, Chop Suey by Ty Hutchinson, Dead By Dawn by
Juliet Dillon Clark, Open Season by Archer Mayor, and Ms America and the Offing
on Oahu by Diana Dempsey.
If you could date one of your characters, who
would it be? Why?
My
characters are way too screwed up to date. Even the nicest character is
profoundly flawed in their own way. And, since I know all those flaws, I'm not
going anywhere near those people!
What has one of your fans said that has made
your day?
I
have several fans that harangue...I mean, contact me regularly asking for 'the
next thing'. They don't care what it is, just as long as I wrote it then they
want it. I think that is the best compliment I've ever received from fans.
Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled people love certain characters in my stories.
But it touches my heart to know that, as an author, if I choose to deviate away
from a genre or series, my fans will still be there for me.
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Stop
worrying about getting published. Keep it simple: Write, edit, re-write, edit.
That will take up a lot of your time and brain power. Once you've completed
those steps at least three times, then and only then worry about getting
published.
Anything else you would like to add?
I
write for two reasons: 1) my brain would swell and my eyeballs explode if I
didn't, and 2) because I like to entertain. No matter how shy the writer seems
to be, we never get tired of talking to our fans. We love to hear from you,
hear your take on our stories. Good or bad experiences with our writing, we
appreciate the time you took to read it and the time you took to give us your
input. That being said, we love feedback. We especially like it publically
displayed when we can get it. Which isn't often. Already having invested so
much time into reading our work, most of us would like two more minutes of your
time. Write us a review or rate us at whatever your favorite book distributor
is. You could absolutely adore our book, think it is so wonderful you've
recommended to all your friends, but if you don't review or rate it some place
we frequent (think Amazon, Goodreads, most of us or on Facebook and Twitter -
just tag us) then we'll never know. So, if you've never a chance to meet the
author who has entertained you for several hours, tell us another way. For me,
writing the darned book fulfills #1 of why I write. Having you stop by, tweet,
status update, whatever fulfills the second reason I write. Talk to me; I likey
the words.
Quickies
Vampire or Werewolf
Yuck.
Neither.
Beach or Mountains
As
long as they both have power outlets for my laptop then I'm an equal
opportunist.
Coffee or Tea
Tea.
Definitely tea.
Wake early or sleep in
Sleep
in. Stay up late. Sometimes really late.
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