RRR presents... THE HAUNTING AT PARADISE HOUSE by Killian Wolf - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining Rachel's Random Resources for a positively HAUNTED stop along their current promotion featuring a read that fits today's holiday like a glove...or a mask...or a ceremonial robe when trying to gain powers that man nor woman should be necessarily messing with.  *just sayin'*  That's right!  Make room on your Halloween night reading roster for today's SPOOKY-licious blog tour guest and ebook of choice...

The Haunting at Paradise House

Reapers of the Veil, Book 1

by

Killian Wolf

About the book...

If you were given the chance to become a powerful sorceress, would you leave behind everything you thought you knew? 

When Addison is offered the position of her dreams through a mysterious phone call, she rises to the occasion and moves to the Florida Keys to a mansion called Paradise House. Footsteps from playful ghosts, a room of killer dolls, and an all too intelligent owl lead her to the mysteries that lie within the walls, to reveal the true reason behind her invitation. When dark forces get a hold of her and her patient, Addison is left with no choice but to take extreme measures to protect the ones she loves. Will Addison be able to acquire the necessary skills fast enough in order to protect her patient, and defeat the evil entities that thrive in the mansion?

AMAZON UK  |  US

B&N  |  KOBO

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Spooked yet?

Trust me...you will be...

When the uber creepy call came in about the job opportunity, it was all I could do not to scream RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY at the top of my lungs.  I mean, HELLO!  Ever seen a scary movie?  Yeah, I have...and those mysterious phone calls NEVER end well...especially when they are so vague in how they found you and the offer sounds too good to be true.  Rule of thumb, it generally is...and again, the best rec I can make is RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY!  Now, obviously, Addison doesn't listen to my silent plea and thus the story continues, but so do the WEIRD and STRANGE coincidences!  I mean, what's with the creepy, slightly off the grid location?  Why do the grounds make one question whether the property was actually abandoned?  What's with the pajama clad neighbor lingering outside and her cryptic comment about her potential new employer?  What's with all the gates and are they to keep something in or out?  Just who was the ringlet haired girl in the artwork that seemed somewhat familiar?  I mean, the list goes on and on...but in the best way possible!

Honestly, I generally have a hard time with ebook because I just love the experience that much more in print, but I wasn't hesitating in the least to turn these epages as fast as a frightened child runs from a monster, or perhaps a more accurate analogy would be as quickly as newly hired home care helper learns a few tricks that she never imagined even existed!  When people ask me for book recommendations, specifically those that really SCARED me...I'm always at a loss.  I've never been THAT scared by/of a book.  My imagination is vivid and creates a "movie" in my mind while reading, but it doesn't allow for the sensory overload that say an ACTUAL movie can provide.  Did this book break that streak?  Nope...but it WAS good, pretty darn good, actually, and a PERFECT addition to my Halloween reading list...and being that it comes in ebook format, it's not too late to check it out yourself as the sun/moon rises on this Halloween day/night.  Just, you know, remember to keep the lights on... 😉

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About the author... 

Killian Wolf is a Miami, FL native who enjoys pirates, rum, and skulls as much as she loves writing about dark magick and sorcerers. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology and Sociology and a Master of Science in Environmental Archaeology and Palaeoeconomy. Killian writes books about obtaining magickal powers and stepping into other dimensions. She lives in England with her husband, a tornado of a cat, and the most timid snake you’d ever meet. When she isn’t writing, you might find her at an Archaeological dig, rock climbing, or sipping on dark spiced rum while working on a painting.

FACEBOOK  |  INSTAGRAM  |  TWITTER

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CHANCE TO WIN...

...a paperback copy of The Haunting at Paradise House!

 (UK Only)

 *Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this promotion, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun...

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

RHCB presents... THE HAUNTING OF HENRY DAVIS by Kathryn Siebel

HI there!
Welcome  back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Yesterday, we took our chances with zombies.  Today, we're spending our time with the dearly departed....GHOSTS!  That's right.  It's a paranormal twosome IN STORES NOW from Random House Children's Books aimed at Middle Grade audiences ready to cast its spell on your next reading adventure.  So gather your courage, and your wits...you'll need them to uncover the unfinished business of today's book of choice and blog tour guest...

The Haunting of Henry Davis

by

Kathryn Siebel

9781101932773

Knopf Books for Young Readers

About the book...

Ghosts only haunt when they’ve left something behind…

When Henry Davis moves into the neighborhood, Barbara Anne and her classmates at Washington Carver Elementary don’t know what to make of him. He’s pale, small, odd. For curious Barbara Anne, Henry’s also a riddle–a boy who sits alone at recess sketching in a mysterious notebook, a boy, she soon learns, who’s being haunted by a ghost named Edgar.

With the help of some new friends, this unlikely duo is off on an adventure to discover who Edgar was while alive and why he’s haunting Henry now. Together, they might just help Edgar find what he needs to finally be at peace.

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For me, this one was a bit hit and miss...and that's okay!  Not every book will tick everyone's boxes, but some were ticked, for better or worse, and thus, I'm going to break down my adventure through the pages into the two categories.  Ready?  Set?  Here we go...

On the "hit list"...

...the story concept.

It's definitely a ghostly story perfect for the intended audience.  It has just enough "boo" factor to keep you on your toes, but not so much that any scare tactics will follow kiddos off the page.  Additional plus factor in regards to the history it incorporates because it may spark future interest in reading and/or researching those time periods.

...the characters.

Henry was a charming lad, more afraid of his "acquaintance" than of being himself.  Barbara Anne was a force to be reckoned with, but she KNEW it, owned it, and only apologized for it when it got in the way of things.  Edgar was...well, non-corporeal, but still his apparently mischievous self, just as he was in life.  It's refreshing to see youth portrayed in stories that aren't simply changing to be more acceptable to the cliques and groups.

...the finale.

So, I can't really say much in regards to what actually happens without ruining things, but let's just say that nothing is set in stone until the actual end.  Lives hang in the balance, friendships face the proverbial cliff precipice, and afterlives are in question...but by the final turn of the page, all is set to right (but who's right?  Dun dun dunnn...).

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Now for the misses...

...there are holes in the story that go unexplained.

It's great to assume readers will connect things, in fact I applaud that technique because who REALLY wants everything spelled out for you, but there are some spaces in this one where it felt disconnected to me, leaving TOO much for the reader to suppose, and it affected the underlying weave of the story.

...character profiles that didn't seem true to form.

Okay, I know...I just praised the characters, and I stand by that, but there were a few things that didn't feel quite genuine to me, like Henry's almost non-reaction to missing pieces of time from his life, and Barbara Anne's fear of Edgar despite her go-getter-no-holds-barred personality plus her inability to actually SEE/FEEL him.  

🗭   🗭   🗭

Final thoughts...

...it's certainly worth the exploration, and you'll definitely find yourself caught up in the unexpected moments of the heart that crop up when least expected, just be sure to pay attention so you don't miss the story change overs and lose the overall thread.  Who knows...in the end, you may find your own peace in the messages of well being in the here after, or stoke the fires of a young ghost hunter in the making.

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About the author...

Kathryn Siebel teaches humanities at Billings Middle School in Seattle and works with elementary school students at the Green Lake School-Age Care Program. She has worked in educational publishing and as an English teacher and librarian and has an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She is also the author of The Trouble with Twins.

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Special thanks to Joey at Random House Children's Books for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now via Knopf Books for Young Readers, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour making its way through the blogosphere for more bookish fun! 

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Home HAUNTED home...

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers...the place to be when you're ready for a SPOOKY read and your brain is perplexed by the plethora of choices.  No worries, I'll help light the way with a grin and a....BOO!  ^_^

So, I did something recently that will shock you.  No really!  It's SO out of character that you'll wonder just who is REALLY writing this post.  I mean, it even shocked ME!  Wanna know what it is?  Well, do you?

Come close.

A little bit closer.

~whispers~

I read a book OFF the review list.

*GASP*

~Shock~

!! AWE !!

I know, right?  Seems like a not-a-big-deal situation, however the life of a book blogger (especially one that LOVES to read a wide range of genres) can get quite busy...not complaining in the least, just making an observation...and so the chance to interject something other than what's on the books (so to speak) can be few and far between. Well, one day after watching a movie (The Conjuring to be precise), I felt inclined to investigate the people behind the film, or rather some of the people portrayed IN the film.  One thing led to another and BOOM...a new book was on my read-now list lickety split.  

Ready to read all about the title that caught my attention (among others), interrupted my reading program, and got me started on a haunted note for the season?  Let's DO this!  Today's book of choice is...

A Haunted Love Story:

The Ghosts of the Allen House

by

Mark Spencer

So imagine sharing your house with another.  What's that?  Oh, you do already?  I bet they are FAR less interesting than these house guests...or at the very least, less deceased.  *gulp*

Yes, this book is taking us on a visit to the other side via a house in the here and now, occupied by both the present AND the past.  Welcome to the Allen House in sunny Monticello, Arkansas, where the view at first glance is stately and majestic...but wait, who IS that at the writing desk in the upstairs window?  *glances*  Whether a believer in the other side or merely curious, this one presents a true story of events that have transpired with an openness that is at once refreshing and inviting...letting you draw your own conclusions from all that is presented.  The Spencer's openness to having the haunting confirmed or debunked will have you glued to the pages turn after turn (hopefully not by themselves, though it will seem as such as those remaining decrease in number).

 Mind you, they didn't set out to buy/move into a haunted house per se, it merely called to them, or should we be saying CHOSE them.  Yep.  No other way to put it really when looking at everything as a whole.  Let's see there's the original owners not wanting to sell to anyone...until the Spencer's arrived.  The house they rent while the deal is being worked just so happens to be connected to their future home...and well, you get the picture.  Sounds to be like those from the past were ready to make their stories known and the Spencer family received their "BOO" of approval.

In conclusion, if you are easily spooked...I'd recommend reading this one with during daylight hours or with your best bud, whether human or fur baby; if not, have at it my friend!  I highly enjoyed it, even the more historically charged parts (and we all know how much a fan I am of that particular genre...or not) and personally would LOVE the chance to visit the house, meet with the current family, and witness an interaction with the spirits that are still there today.  Step inside and meet souls from the past and the present while discovering just how much in common we ALL still have.

Review copy obtained on my own for my reading pleasure.  This title is available now from Llewellyn Worldwide, so be on the look out for it on a bookstore shelf near you.


Until next time...happy reading!

Speed Dating With the Dead by Scott Nicholson

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!

Halloween is closing in fast this year.  In fact, it seems like the days are just whizzing by paying no mind to the fact that we'd like it to slow down so we can enjoy a bit of the season (do you hear that Mother Nature?).  The weather is cool and crisp with the beautiful leaves changing color all around...well not down here since the high is suppose to be 80+ today with a 20% chance of showers making it feel like summer instead of fall (*grumble*), but I'm sure it's fall weather somewhere in the world and my imagination is taking me there. 

Though we read books of all genres and story lines throughout the year, it is a custom adopted by many bloggers to feature a few more books on the spooky side of things during the month of October, and I for one am glad!  I love books from all walks of life (as can be seen by the ever changing variety posted here) but it's fun to dial in a little more Halloween-ish fun sometimes, you know?  In fact, today's post turns the dial directly to....HORROR.  Do you have the lights on?  Doors secured?  Ready for today's post?  Here we go.  Today's book of choice is....

Speed Dating With the Dead

by

Scott Nicholson

*WARNING*

There is a warning that I must pass along not only due to the horror factor and storyline, but the content. THIS IS NOT FOR YOUNG READERS. There is foul language. There are instances of sexual content, more explicit than not. There is serious darkness explored (in a fictitious manner of course) but with enough scare power to frighten those with an over active imagination.  In short...if you're looking for a good scare and not afraid of a bit of gore and glimpses under the sheets, this just might be the one for you.

Are you ready for a hunt?  How about a GHOST hunt?  *raises hand*  Who ya gonna call?  Ghost…wait, no…not them, although the paranormal hunters in this tale would certainly love it if they could step in and lend a hand I’m sure.  Wayne Wilson (aka The Digger) and the rest of the SSI team are going on a little adventure.  Their business?  Ghosts, hauntings, and the paranormal.  Current location for investigation…the White Horse Inn…home of supernatural activity to boot whether the staff knows it or not.  You see, the inn has seen better days and in lieu of bringing their high end status up to par, they are cashing in on their own ghastly history and reaping (pardon the pun) the rewards, hence Mr. Wilson and his well paying ghost seeking guests.  They seek to investigate at least three of the more infamous hauntings during their current stay.  Sounds like the perfect plan, right?  Yes and no.

While paranormal encounters abound, there is a lot more than ghosts calling this place home.  Try demons… O_O ….as in plural and the big, unfriendly, I-want-your-soul kind and making contact with the hotels newest guests is just the first thing on their to-do list, if you know what I mean.  So….welcome to the White Horse Inn.  Come in, stay awhile; before long you won’t want to leave…or be able to… (muwhahahahahaha)

Let’s see…time for a storyline check list.  We've got a couple that promised they'd be together til death do us part (and then some). A hotel that trumps the one in the infamous The Shining ten times over in the haunts and ruthlessness department. Temptation around every corner in both physical and emotional forms.  A few disbelievers about to have a come-to-ghosty meeting sure to change their paranormal outlook.  Plus, a twist of an ending you won't see coming…in fact, quite a few characters don't see it coming either as something in the hotel keeps picking them off.  Yep, I’d say this one is playing with a full deck of scary. 

I have to say this is exactly the reason that I don't necessarily count an author out just because I don't fall in love with their first book, or rather the first book that I read written by them. Sometimes one works well for some readers while another doesn't quite hit the mark…and that’s okay, we all have different tastes and that’s part of what makes sharing the experience that much more interesting.  While I wouldn't say I loved this one (personally could have done without a scene or two), I certainly liked it quite a bit as the storyline really grabs your attention.  Seriously!  After I read through a particular scene before going to bed the one night (there’s a guy reading cards and something unexpected happens with the deck that has to do with the image of a serpent…don’t want to ruin it for you), I actually woke up from a dream (nightmare?  Not sure…don’t remember now…) that it managed to make its way into… ~shudders~…needless to say, not a common occurrence. 

We’ve talked storyline, but let’s talk characters for a moment.  The cast of characters enhanced the story rather well, in fact several of the supporting characters shine through more vibrantly and memorably than a few of the main ones.  Kendra Wilson, the Digger’s daughter nicknamed Buttercup (from The Princess Bride), plays a key role (of which you learn more about later on in the novel), but her very nature…smartaleck, artsy girl ready to kick butt if someone looks at her the wrong way or melt (inwardly) over Cody McKenzie, Mr. “Future of Horror” himself…brings her to life in a more 3 dimensional way.  She has real life troubles, a dad focused on reconnecting with the past and missing what is right in front of him and a desire to establish herself apart from her dad’s image…all making her easy to connect to. 

On the other end of the spectrum (in more ways than one), we have quite a few others making their presence known.  The hotel manager, Janey Mays, though living and breathing (for now..hehe) is dishonest and heartless to the core.  Ann Vandooren and her sidekick Duncan are out to disprove Wilson and his paranormal findings but end up inviting in a bit more trouble than they can handle.  Then of course we have the otherworldly characters that come alive in their various forms as they seek to claim what they feel is rightfully theirs.  From uber creepy to tantalizing in no time flat, the demons (and one other being…which shall remain nameless unless you read the tale) make their mark every time and leave you with an impression you won’t soon forget.

My only other word of critique is in regards to the title.  Title selection can make or break a book sometimes, or at the very least changes the audience size reached.  When I read the title of this book, I can honestly say had the cover art NOT been shown with it, I might not have given it a second glance.  I know, bad reader bad reader, but you know you’ve all done it before.  If you are reading through a list of titles, something has to grab your attention and yeah, this one doesn’t quite reach me...lucky for me, the visual stimulation was there along with an intriguing teaser to take me past my first glance impression and pull me in for what was a rather enjoyable read.  In summary…this book definitely raises the creep factor many notches, in fact you'll definitely want to leave the lights while reading it. The perfect book for the Halloween season or any other time you are looking for a good scare.

EBook for review received from author Scott Nicholson.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title and his complete bibliography, check out his website or follow along on Twitter.  Don’t forget he is still making the rounds in the blogosphere on his current tour (one stop was right here at the site) where you have a chance to win 1 of 20 Kindle DXs so be sure to check it out!

Until next time…happy reading.

Author Interview with Nancy Holder + CONTEST!

Hi there!

Welcome back to day three of our Nancy Holder fest celebration here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!  I hope that your week has gone well and the weekend holds nothing but the best for you.  A quick note before we go into today's actual post...if you haven't had a chance to check out the Got Books? Event site as of yet, I suggest you do!  We've got over 50 blogs currently signed up to participate and over 20 sponsors for the Kick-Off contest (including the one that you are about to read more about...ahem, Nancy Holder...thank you!).  Check it out for more information and join the fun!

Today's post is special indeed for not only do you get a chance to win the first two books in this growing series (Possessions) but we also have a facinating interview with the author herself!  I'll be the first to admit it...I don't do author interviews very often.  It's not that they are not fabulous people worth know about, because they certainly are....it's more that I fall for their work and end up at a loss for questions to ask them beyond the book itself (most of which you learn the answers to while reading, creating a spoiler situation).  There are those cases though where I make the exception and delve a little deeper to find those questions that not only I would like to know the answer to but also those I feel YOU would be interested in reading. 

I give you fair warning, THIS IS A LONG POST (much like this paragraph)...HOWEVER, I must also say that it is a VERY INTERESTING and HEARTFELT INTERVIEW as well thanks to Ms. Holder's responses and you would be remise to skim it's contents.  (Oh admit it...you skim posts sometimes...I'm as guilty as you...it's okay, I still think you're great...just really, read this one...it's worth it.)

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Interview with Author Nancy Holder

Your work tends to be geared towards teens and young adult fiction fans.  Why did you choose this genre to make your claim in the literary world?

I think the only difference between young adults and adults is that young adults still let themselves feel:  hopes, dreams, fears, and regrets.  A lot of adults shut down their “unrealistic” expectations about life.  Young adults still go there, and I want to honor that.  Dream, be!  Live!  Soar! 

They believe as I do:  “Even in the darkest place, there is hope.” 

Ooh, ooh!  Agreed.  Though it is hard to see, it’s still there.

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What is it about boarding schools that present that air of mystery or foreboding (in your opinion, of course)...

A boarding school is a closed system.  You can’t just walk out the door and go home.  It’s sort of like a genteel prison…if you’re feeling trapped.  In the case of THE EVIL WITHIN, the boarding school is situated high in the mountains of Northern California.  It takes two hours up a winding road to reach the nearest town…and one of the roads leading to the main road is patrolled by a ghost…or so they say….

It’s almost a more agonizing situation when you have the option of leaving a place, but you know that once you go, you can’t turn back.  How bad do things have to get before you bail?  What if you might get something really great (a college scholarship, the boy of your dreams) if you stay?

They say that what we regret most in life is the things we didn’t do, but is that really true?

Good question…hard to say.  I know at on my own path in life there are a few things I wish I had done, but would the outcome have been any better…one never really knows….

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Cliques are another central theme as is the desire to be in one.  What are your thoughts on the topic?  Any experience with them yourself you'd care to share? 

I think that my experiences in the dance department had something to do with cliques, although I’m still not certain what exactly was going on.  I think all the jostling people do to form cliques, get into cliques, etc., has to do with power and wanting to belong, be a part of, rather than apart from.  Every human being needs a place in the sun.  We all need to feel that we matter and that we’re important.  Some of us need symbols to prove that—the right clothes, lots of money, the most friends and/or followers. 

Plato said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a kind of battle.”  That doesn’t mean to be a doormat, but it does mean to treat people civilly and courteously. 

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Some of the hazing to become a "Mandy-clone" was a bit extreme.  Grant it that's coming from someone that would never have thought to consider doing any of those things to "fit in" but alas, reality shows us some do.  How did you come up with the "stunts" they had to pull off in order to be deemed "worthy"?

The scary answer is that they just came to me.  I tried to think of extreme stunts because I had to make the situations larger than life, to make it very clear that what Mandy was demanding was beyond the beyond.  And sad to say, for some people, those stunts probably weren’t all that extreme.  I have seen people do far worse.  Risk their lives.  You get into a zone where it’s all for show, for being silly, and it never dawns on you that you might really die.  How can you die?  It’s just for fun. 

Well…

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Any characters within the novels have real life counterparts?  (You don't have to name names, just curious....)

There have been two times in my life when I was around some really mean girls and women.  The first time was in community college.  I had studied to be a professional ballet dancer in Germany, gave up the dream, and came back to the States to go to college.  I got involved in the dance department but I was very quiet and low key, not discussing my previous aspirations.  I just wanted to dance. 

The degree of venom among this little bunch of female dancers just baffled me.  Not so much directed at me, but at anyone who wasn’t a member of their select little group.

Example:  We were all going to be in a dance concert and a couple of us suggested we take up a collection for our choreographer.  The little group traded looks; one of them snapped, “That’s not the way we do it.”  I was so puzzled.  I kept wondering if there was something we “losers” were doing or saying that annoyed or aggravated them.  I never figured it out.

The other time was when I was working as a bank teller.  I was a “floating teller,” sort of like a substitute.  I went to the branches that needed extra help.  There was a teller at one of the branches who not only was mean, but who actively tried to get me in trouble.  She would ask me leading questions—“Did you get an ID on that woman at your window?”—when our supervisor was within earshot.  I knew what she was doing.  I just never knew why.  She didn’t even know me.  We worked together for one day.

This kind of weird-random-targeting cruelty fascinates me.  I didn’t have anything invested in being part of the dance department and I didn’t stay in banking.  I had other options.  But what if I hadn’t?  What if I wanted to major in dance, or I got assigned to that branch permanently?  What if those situations meant more to me?  How much would I have put up with to stay, and for what?

The happy news is that I recently reunited with that choregrapher.  She’s a very successful paranormal romance writer and we have had some great times talking about our dancing days.  And some of my fondest memories having anything to do with banking are of sitting with my little girl at our local Wells Fargo.  When she was in the third grade, she and her best friend would sit in these enormous overstuffed chairs.  They would drink little dollops of coffee loaded with creamer and “read” the Wall St. Journal.  They were so little that their legs stuck straight out. 

I would dole out my daughter’s allowance in quarters, and she would decide how much to deposit.  Then we’d fill out the receipt and go through the teller line with her stack of quarters.  To this day, we both still get happy-face stickers on our receipts and she still loves to mook around with the coffee.  I have stayed with that branch because they gave her a stuffed pony at Christmas. 

Oh, that’s awful how they treated you, but I can’t say (and I’m sure my readers can’t either) that I haven’t seen it before.  It’s wrong and it’s so beneath where we should be in society but it does happen.  I do think that talking about it either person to person or in books (etc) we can keep putting the word out there and help those going through it currently, or hopefully put an end to it in our lifetimes.  (Really, what does it accomplish…uncalled for meanness?)

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Okay, let's get personal for a moment.  Truthfully...were you more of a leader, a follower, or someone in the background who went with the flow....

I was a dancer.  I was committed to ballet and I didn’t think much past that, except that it made me feel like an outsider.  Also, like Lindsay, my mom died when I was young (I was nine), so I felt a bit out of it because of that, as well.  That has made me appreciate commitment to a passion, and to savor every moment of being a mom myself.  I am passionate about a number of things:  being a writer, being a mom, and taking good care of my dogs.  I am passionate about music.  When I listen to certain pieces of music, I can’t help but dance—even if I’m driving!—and I can be moved to tears, easily. 

So sorry to hear about your mother but glad that you are a committed mom to both your children and your fuzzy ones.  Being passionate can be exhausting at times, but it’s so enjoyable it makes it worth every second.

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Writing a novel of this nature, especially a series, leaves this reader curious to know...what are your beliefs on the whole haunting business?  Real, fake, somewhere in-between?  Just how much "you" seeped into the pages of the book....

By light of day, I will tell you that I think there are no such things as ghosts or possessions.  But at night, I get scared.  I have a wide-screened TV and if it’s on after I turn off the cable, it completely freaks me out.  I can’t watch horror movies at night.  I start thinking about all the scary stories I’ve heard and sometimes I have to sleep with the light on.

When I’m working in the Possessions world, I usually watch a horror movie every morning.  I pick out movies about haunted boarding schools, convents, hospitals, etc., and also about ghosts and possessions.  There are some movies that look too scary for me:  The Possession of Emily Rose and Paranormal Activity, for two.

I don’t go through Halloween haunted houses, either.  Too scary. 

Oh, the Emily Rose movie had a good creepy factor but wasn’t really that scary to me.  Guess you wouldn’t like the elderly lady climbing the walls in the Exorcist movies then, huh?  I feel you on the haunted houses thing.  I’ve wanted to go through the whole Horror Nights event in Florida, but I don’t know…my reaction could go two ways.  One scared witless and get carried out, or two brave face it all and enjoy the heck out of it.  *ponders*

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Another similarity I found in reviewing your published works is the strong paranormal thread.  It seems to be a favorite topic for you.  Why choose this area?  What drew YOU to it?

I don’t know what drew me to it.  When I was little, I got a black wig.  I started writing screenplays where I could show an actor wearing my wig.  They were titled The Monster in the Furnace and The Monster in the Swimming Pool.  Always with the monsters! 

I made a movie for a book report in ninth grade:  MacBeth, agonizing over his sins.  I wore my cheerleader bloomers (I was a cheerleader for one year, basketball, and we lost every single game); my dad’s velour shirt, and an enamel pendant he and I bought together at a Shakespeare festival.  On a chessboard, I covered the white king with ketchup and showed him having fallen over with the black king and black queen having cornered him.  Predating Stephen Meyer, I might add.

My dad and I also made a radio play of The Martian Chronicles for a book report.  It was “Usher II,” about these robots (I think) in a sort of theme park version of Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher” that were killing people. 

I had a magic kit and the only trick I played with was sawing the lady in half (she was made of blue plastic, possibly to cut down on the gore factor. And? Magnets.)  

I would give my Barbie’s elaborate Viking funerals, wrapping them in tissues and placing them on biers.  Then I would dig a pit around them, line it with newspapers and sticks, and light the fire.  My mom would call out, “What are you doing, sweetie?” And I would reply, “Playing Barbie’s.”  “Okay, then!”

I read scary comics and I watched scary movies and I never got any sleep because I was terrified all the time.  When I’m writing for Possessions, I start up the fear machine so I’ll be in the terror zone. Why do this to myself?  Why, oh why?  So I’ll write scary.

So do I believe?  I must, no?

I would think on some level, yes…interesting Barbie activities though.  Most I did to mine was giving the one a classic bob hairstyle (to match my own)…Mom was none too happy. 

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A few quid-pro-quo questions...

My favorite book is....  The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson

One of my favorite authors is....my coauthor, Debbie Viguie!

On my nightstand...Dog bandana, magic stone, and The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics.  I’m also a comic book writer.

When I'm not writing, I am usually....hanging with my daughter and my Corgis, yard work, going to Disneyland!  We heart the Mouse!

If I wasn't an author, I would have been....a fulltime teacher or speech therapist.

Growing up, I could always be found....at ballet school.

The thing I know now, that I wished I knew then....you have to keep going.  Write the next sentence, the next paragraph, the next book.  Only YOU can tell your stories.  If you don’t tell them, no one will ever know them.  So write them!

Additional thoughts I'd like to share....As I said, “Even in the darkest place, there is hope.”  The light we need to grow is the light inside ourselves.  It really, really is.

Love the nightstand combination and I am definitely there with you on the love for the Mouse.  (Yep, I’m a Disney kid too.) Great advice for future authors-to-be out there and I must say I am really loving that “mantra” on hope.   

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Thank you so much Nancy Holder for the amazing interview.  You shared so much that will not only speak to readers of your novels but also on a more personal level as well.  If you haven't checked out her site or followed her on Twitter yet...um, why not?

Now for part two of this marvelous posting day...the CONTEST!

Your chance to win a copy of Possessions and Possessions 2:  The Evil Within for your very own reading pleasure!  Thanks (again) to this great author, we have this set up for grabs.  So, how do you enter?  I thought you'd never ask!

First and foremost as it is the question on the minds of many readers, especially those around the world...is the contest International?

The answer...
YES! 

That's right!  This contest is open to everyone everywhere.  Let's get straight to the details, shall we?

The prize:

 

(1) SIGNED copy of Possessions

(1) copy of Possessions 2:  The Evil Within

To enter:

Follow the yellow brick road!

Just kidding....click on the word FORM.  Right there...to the left.

The rules:

*Open to EVERYONE!  US/Canada?  International?  Bring it on!  No P. O. Boxes please.

(Thanks to our gracious provider.)

* Entries will be accepted from Friday, June 18th, 2010 through Sunday, July 4th, 2010 at midnight CST.  (A few extra days with the holiday and all.) The entries will be tallied and entered into the random.org randomizer, after which a random number will be picked by their number generator.

(This way all the entries are mixed up nicely.)
* All entries must be submitted using the form accessable through this post.  No form, no entry.  You MUST include your email address in order to be counted as well as contacted should you be chosen as the winner!
*The winner will be contacted via email by Tuesday, July 6th, 2010 and will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address.  Should they fail to respond in the given time, a new winner will be chosen.
*Winners name and address will be forwarded to Nancy Holder for prize send out and then discarded.

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All right!
That's all she wrote.
I hope you enjoyed the Nancy Holder fest!

Until next time....happy reading!