Interview Ashley Pagano Author of The Gauntlet
Give a warm welcome to Ashley Pagano, author of The Gauntlet.
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Ashley and The Gauntlet.
Interview:
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with The Gauntlet!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Ashley Pagano, fantasy, Supernatural, The Gauntlet, YA Fiction, YA Romance by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Albatross, A Kendra Spark Novel by S. Peters-Davis
Hello Tena and everyone visiting the Authors’ Secrets Blog:) I’m Kendra Spark of the Kendra Spark Series written by S. Peters-Davis. She’s asked me to interview Derek Knight of the same series, and my being an author/writer of mystery-suspense romance, I’ve agreed to take on the task. Hope you all enjoy this as much as I will…putting Derek on the spot in front of all of you is one sure way to get some quick, straight answers. *winks*
Derek: Well, that doesn’t excite me one bit, Kendra. These questions you’re going to ask are what we went over earlier, right? *eyes narrow*
Kendra: Of course, silly. Let’s do a little background of your younger life first. Tell us where you grew up and a little about your family.
Derek: Okay…I grew up in a small town in Southern Indiana, with three older brothers, Harry Jr., Connor, and Randy. My dad worked as a union electrician, and my mother owned and operated a bakery business she inherited from her parents. I graduated high school in 2001 with academic honors and football/baseball scholarships. Played college-level baseball.
When I was a kid, I visited a couple forensic science museums and became interested in criminology, my first steps in leading the way toward the Federal Bureau of Investigation. After I graduated college, I joined the Navy SEALs going through the specialized training and then the missions. Later, I attended Quantico and went on to other training, ending up in Washington, D.C., to work under Special Ops Task Force Director Jackson Powers.
Kendra: Wow, sounds like all work and no play. Bet that was rough on your love-life. Right? *arches a brow*
Derek: My entire family, parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law, worked hard to drop hints, line up dates, and invest time attempting to find the perfect woman for me. *shakes head and chuckles* Little did they know I would eventually work it out for myself. *winks at Kendra and smiles*
Kendra: *blushes* Oh, okay then…tell us about your job and how it currently has changed.
Derek: *big man-breath and extended sigh* I’ve been the lead on several Special Task Force cases, all under Director Powers. We’ve established the perfect team, a couple of which are two men that followed me from the SEALs team into the FBI, Ray Parker and Luke Hindalmon. We also have a gifted IT woman, Tressa Standish. Then there’s you as our ghost communicator, consultant, and interpreter for Jenna Powers, our ghostified criminal analyst who has remained earth-bound since a grave accident where she saved a child from a runaway vehicle about four weeks ago.
In the past, we worked together as a Special Ops Task Force – Violent Crimes Unit, now we’re more in line with the same set-up only we specialize in Sensitive Investigations (or as the team has come to know it – Supernatural Investigations).
Kendra: What was your last case?
Derek: We managed to survive, but I don’t want to go into graphic details of the dark forces at play as we’ve still got some work to do on sewing up some loose threads, so to speak.
Kendra: Oh,…okay. Is it true that your team has been called Warriors of the Light?
Derek: *rolls eyes* Kendra, that’s not going to be anything we call ourselves. Someone made a reference to the warriors’ thing. But we are an FBI team of specialized agents, doing what we do best, apprehending the heinous criminals and saving the innocent victims.
Kendra: Thank you, Derek. I know you’re right in the middle of another prominent case, and I appreciate your time today.
Derek: *smiles* Always and forever.
Kendra: *blushes deeper and smiles* Well, that’s it for today, everyone. Thank you again, Tena, for allowing us to post on your blog today. It’s been fantastic fun. Thank you, everyone, for stopping in – please remember to enter the drawing for your chance to win:) Have a super-fantastic summer!!
*Derek leans over and gently covers Kendra’s lips with his*
Quick reminder to all visitors – don’t forget to enter the raffle drawing before you leave:) Good Luck!!
Tell us a little about Albatross
Books three in the
Kendra Spark Series
police director gone crime lord and a beautiful malevolent “albatross of a
spirit.”
“ghosty” Jenna Powers, members of an FBI special task force, investigate a
cold-case and end up facing the ultimate psychopaths, a highly-accredited
police director gone crime lord and a beautiful malevolent “albatross of a
spirit.” Both want Kendra for her unique abilities but might settle for Jenna
instead.
Kendra and Jenna safe, but what if the worst-case scenario happens, an
unstoppable villain and villainess of the dark plane that picks the earth plane
as their stomping ground?
vanilla stirred the air within the bathroom. “Sparky, why aren’t you in the big
house with Derek?” Jenna, in all her ghosty-glory, got my attention using her
pet name for me, an annihilation of my last name. She leaned against the
doorjamb of Derek’s small cottage version of his home and silently tapped her
toe.
thought-provoking space apart.” I turned from the mirror and faced Jenna. “So,
did you honestly believe that I saw ghosts before you became one? I mean
truly.”
you a few weeks ago when Dad’s life lay in peril from a psycho killer targeting
FBI agents.” Jenna tilted her head, her eyes narrowed. “Is this about Derek?”
struggle with what he saw at the Voodoo Re-resurrection Ritual. I mean, he
watched it, actually saw Buster, and Grandma Ellie with all of the Guardian
Angels, and the soul-lights belonging to the trafficked teens.” A deep
agonizing sigh rolled off my tongue. “You never saw any of the ghosts I did,
and yet you called me for your dad. You had to trust in my ability, right?”
honestly, I called because none of the agents could get a handle on the
situation fast enough for me. My concern for Dad had driven me to make the
call. At that point, I wanted to grab at anything, including your ability, even
if I didn’t fully believe or understand it.” Jenna stepped closer, her gray and
fluorescent green running ensemble flattered her slim frame. “I’d wrap my arm
around your shoulder if I could. I still feel like I owe you an apology for so
many things, not believing in your ghost-vision is but one.”
on a good front for me, because in college, I never doubted your belief in me.”
“I thought most of what you told me related to your fiction. You were always
such a good story-teller with your wild-wacky imagination. Most of the time, I
figured you set me up for a shock-factor effect.”
the front door announced Derek, but he didn’t enter like usual. Jenna shimmered
out of sight as I strode to the door and opened it. My lips parted as I sucked
in air. Clara Jones, my literary agent…here? “How did you get this address?”
writer friend, Sharon. I got her information from the last manuscript she sent
to me because you were here.” She peered over my shoulder, glancing around the
inside of the cottage. “Wow, now this is one hell of a writing retreat.” She
pushed past me and stood in the center of the room, gaze darting everywhere
until it settled on me. “Tell me you’ve started the first book in the series. Knixton
House is getting anxious for the media and cover art information, and since I
was in D.C., I thought I might pick it up personally.” She forced a smile. “I’m
beginning to think you’re dodging my calls and text messages.”
rap on the door, I swung around to Derek. His smile warmed me, but his arched
brow and nod toward Clara indicated his concern.
meet my Literary Agent, Clara Jones. Clara, FBI Special Agent, Derek Knight.”
Mr. Knight told me how to get back here.” And still, Clara moved toward him
with the speed of a booster rocket. Her hand extended and grabbed Derek’s
before he offered it. She studied Derek’s face, her gaze traveled over him,
from head to toe, until his face blazed red.
hand from Clara’s. “Nice to meet you, again. Kendra has mentioned you.”
me. “Only mentioned?”
rather busy solving FBI cases.”
vanilla, Jenna reappeared next to Clara. “Wow, she’s a looker. And damnation,
her eyes keep creeping back to Derek.” Jenna chuckled. “You’ll have to muzzle
her or wrap a blindfold around her head.”
loud. Of course, at the worst inappropriate timing.
your visit short, Ms. Jones, but Kendra’s presence is requested at a meeting
downtown D.C., and we are running behind schedule.” Derek pressed his lips
together, tension swept along his jaw and temple.
buster. This woman already has a job.” She poked a finger in Derek’s chest. “In
fact, she’s obligated to complete that job in record-breaking time to meet the
commitment of her book contract.” Clara’s green eyes widened as she glared at
Derek.
of lightning are flying from her eyeballs and striking Derek, right in the
heart, where her fingernail is buried.” Jenna grinned. “What do you think?”
exasperated breath and stepped closer to the duo. “Derek, I need some time to
talk with Clara. Can you go to the meeting without me? You can record it or
just pass on anything I should know.”
elbow and directed me toward the door. “She’ll be only a moment,” he said as
the door slammed behind us. We kept walking away from the cottage and around
the side of Derek’s log home. He stopped and whirled me toward him. “Why is she
here? When she knocked on my door this morning and requested you, I thought she
might be a relative.”
contract to a new publishing house, and Clara’s nervous about the upcoming
deadlines. With everything going on, I haven’t told her about my decision to
stay here for a while. I’m not sure how to break my contract.” Plus, the fact
that I didn’t look forward to a face-off with Clara. I’d neglected this major
obstacle. “She has no clue about my ability, or why the FBI would use me. It’s
going to take some time to explain.”
FBI has some kind of legal documentation we can present to Clara that will
supersede your contracts.” He tilted my face upward and pulled me closer. His
lips touched mine, stealing my breath. His throaty moan electrified the beat of
my heart, and I melted against his body.
fluffed the air, but I ignored it.
up. Little Miss Nasty-Pants is on her way.” Jenna’s face appeared over Derek’s
shoulder. She winked and then vanished.
from Derek’s embrace. His stormy-blues smoldered.
around the corner and ran into Derek’s shoulder. He stood solid as she
stumbled, but then she righted herself, eyeing him and then me. “I’m not
getting a good vibe with what’s happening here, Kendra. We need to talk. In
private.” She glowered at Derek.
straightened out.” Derek’s gaze met mine, and then he moved away from Clara.
“I’ll let Director Powers know you’ve been detained. I’m sure there’s something
he can pull out of his hat to help secure your position with the FBI.”
talking about?” Clara’s face flushed to a bright red, almost matching her hair.
for a coffee, maybe two? This might take a while to explain.” I nodded to Derek
as he walked away, and then slipped my arm through Clara’s. “Let’s go back to
the cottage. It comes with the best little screened-in porch, very private and
serene.”
About the Author:
multi-genre stories, but loves penning a good page-turning suspense-thriller,
especially when it’s a ghost story and a romance. When she’s not writing,
editing, or reading, she’s hiking, RV’ing, fishing, playing with grandchildren,
or enjoying time with her favorite muse (her husband) in Southwest Michigan.
and NA paranormal, supernatural novels that involve diverse and mature subject
matter.
BWL Blog: https://bwlauthors.blogspot.com/
BWL Author Page: http://bookswelove.net/authors/peters-davis-s-suspense-paranormal/
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Albatross!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Albatross, Book three, Kendra Spark Series, Paranormal, S. Peters-Davis, Supernatural, Suspense-Romance by Tena Stetler with 5 comments.
Malevolent by Author S.Peters-Davis plus White Raven
Give a spooktacular welcome to S. Peters-Davis, author of Malevolent!
was thirteen. The cool morning mist lifted off the water, my parents had
already launched to fish, and I was left tending the campsite. My book lay open
on the picnic table and I was totally absorbed in the paranormal romance of
shifters when a white bird the size of an eagle landed on the table in front of
me.
cocking its head side to side, stepping to the right then the left of me.
watch me might have been unsettling to someone else, but I found comfort with
its interest in me. I studied it right back; a Raven, only white and a huge
size, with deep purple eyes and dark lashes. So, it wasn’t an albino.
come from? You’re amazing.” My words must have startled it because it stumbled
off the table, hitting the ground with a loud thud. I shot to the other side
where it lay unconscious. “You can’t die. I’m sure you’re one of a kind.” I
touched its soft feathered head. A tingle vibrated through my fingers and up my
arm. The bird shivered and its eyes opened. “Oh, my gosh, you’re alive.”
are nothing like I was told you’d be,” a masculine voice spoke inside my head.
landing on my backside. My heart beat erratic as I gasped for air. We stared at
each other. “You just spoke inside my head. You know my name.” I croaked the
words, still working to breathe. “What are you?”
me in the moonlight, his purple eyes glowed. “What are you doing? You’re
supposed to be practicing.” His straight white hair fluttered around his broad
shoulders, his lips pinched together. “You’re eighteen and should have full
access to your powers. Now is when you need to be trained.”
edge of a Picture Rock cliff, he expected me to jump, gain my wings and fly.
Only I’d never flown on my own, even though I could make feathers appear
randomly on my body, it wasn’t like launching myself into the abyss of Lake
Superior just to prove I can’t fly. He swore the full moon would give me
insight on what would happen if I jumped off the cliff, but I definitely wasn’t
feeling it.
Your parents were strong flyers, both of them. You’ve spent too much time with
the human family and lost your instinct to the Avian way.” He stepped closer,
his palm rubbed across my shoulder blade, warming my insides and making me feel
safe. “It takes a nice dose of adrenaline to get those natural abilities firing
through your system.” He shoved me and I tripped off the ledge.
water was not my friend. I closed my eyes. The rocks below would kiss me dead.
as his talons slipped around my upper arms. I opened my eyes, his strong wings
worked to save us from the crashing waves and rocks.
“Enough for tonight, we’ll try something else tomorrow.” He flew toward the
forest.
introduced me to the Avian race of people on my sixteenth birthday. They told
me that I looked like my mother, who I’d never met. They also spoke of my
parents as royalty, which made me giggle. My parents had left me, a newborn, at
the campsite of a human couple. Perhaps to save me from the hunter that had
killed them. My human parents never shared I wasn’t biologically theirs.
Blaze and our people were in secret. The more I learned about our kind, the
more difficult it became to live in the human world. Especially knowing my
aging process had slowed, upon turning eighteen I aged one year for every one
hundred human years.
of my draw to the changeling world was Blaze. He knew me like no other.
deep into the forest, where our people lived in a small village settlement far
off the beaten path, a place no human would ever consider living. He set me on
my feet outside his home then he changed into human form. He’d insisted as my
mentor and protector that I stayed with him.
should change out of that tiny bathing suit.” His gaze wove a web of sparking
prickles from my chest to my toes and back again and then our gazes connected.
Those sparks on the outside of my skin scurried into my veins like a hyper-wave
of lava. He stepped closer, his head tilted toward me, breath brushing my lips.
toward him, my heart spiraling, eyes closing.
forehead. “Go, change, sleep. We’ll start again tomorrow.”
heart dropped as if knocked-out with a punch. I opened my eyes and watched him
walk into the house, no need for lights with our excellent night vision.
came to mind. She had worried about my deep teal colored eyes and the distance
I could see…miles away. I learned at ten years old to keep certain things to
myself after running through a ton of tests. Thankfully she kept me from
becoming a lab rat. I never shared my ultra-fine hearing or my ability to feel
the minutest vibrations of insects and small creatures.
Vibrations and sound, snapping branches and twigs, I scanned into the forest at
my left.
saw the flame, fumes ripened the air. I sensed the vibration of the bullet as
it passed my shoulder and slammed into the side of Blaze’s home.
groan echoed in my head, then a thud loud enough to be his body.
blood pumping through my veins with force. I stretched tall, my body automated.
My bones and muscles snapped into a new place. I stared downward at talons
instead of toes.
fired, again just missing me. My wingspan freaked me out momentarily, wider
than Blaze’s, and brindle in colored. I lifted effortlessly into the air,
soaring around tree branches, ascending then diving, hearing the ragged breath
of the hunter. He was reloading his firearm.
surprise told me he’d never heard my approach. I knocked him down, used my
talons to grab his gun and snap the night vision goggles from his face. The
Avians swarmed overhead, all sizes, ascending and lifting the unconscious
hunter. With flying stealth, they carried him away.
Blaze’s home; the door was open. My body morphed into human form as soon as I
landed. Arianna, the Avian medic, was already leaning over his prone body, her
glowing hands spread across his abdomen.
ran to his side. His eyes were closed. “Is he unconscious?”
with a look of awe. “You are the one.”
I expected, nor a clue on what it meant.
his eyes opened. “Lacey?”
was a hunter. He’s been removed from the area. How are you feeling?” I brushed
a tendril of hair from his eyes. My fingers vibrated at the touch of his skin.
hands away and inspected the area. A bullet clinked on the wooden floor. “Looks
like you’re going to make it, my King.”
never heard anyone call Blaze that before.
ought to finish the tissue healing.” Arianna rose from the floor, pocketing the
bullet, and reached out a hand. I did the same and we both helped Blaze to his
feet.
His eyes narrowed, brows drawing inward.
into her own. She protected first and foremost, like a true leader, my King.”
Arianna bowed her head toward Blaze, then to me, and said, “We’re honored by
your presence.”
in disbelief, not quite sure what she was talking about. Nor why she was
calling Blaze “my King.”
smile took my breath away, and as his gaze connected with mine my brain stopped
considering anything else.
He pulled me in, wrapping his arms around me. I nodded. “You morphed,” he
whispered.
the door shut on her quick exit.
chin up. “You have no idea how long we’ve waited; I’ve waited. Your timing is
perfect, my Queen.” He closed the gap between our lips, crushing mine to his in
a smolder of passion.
between my palms, our chests pressed together and our heart rhythms matched as
one.
Tell us a little about Malevolent – A Kendra Spark Novel –Book Two
Trafficked girls marked to lose their souls by a malevolent supernatural entity require someone with explicit abilities for their rescue. Will Kendra be able to save them?
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/79016914-s-peters-davis
BWL Publishing Inc.: http://bookswelove.net/
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Malevolent!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Halloween Flash FIction, Malevolent, Romance, S. Peters-Davis, Supernatural, Suspense-thriller, White Racen by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
Interview Lea Ryan Author of Wild Spirits of the Hollow
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Lea and her Wild Spirits of the Hollow.
What secret do you use to blast through writer’s block?
I plot my stories out pretty meticulously, so I don’t get much writer’s block. If I do get stuck, I find that it’s because I didn’t think that scene through in enough detail to begin with. I step back, reassess the notes, and figure out where to go from there. When it does happen, it’s usually a matter of figuring out how to get from one point to another in a way that flows. Staying in that document, staring at the blinking cursor does not help!
What inspired you to write?
My love of books is definitely what inspired me to write. I was a huge bookworm as a kid. I tend to want to imitate what I love. I love fantasy and paranormal fiction, any story that removes me from the real world. And that’s what I write. I love that anything can happen in those kinds of stories. Those worlds are way more exciting than my office job, for sure!
Where do your story ideas come from? If they come to you in the middle of the night, do you get up and write them all down?
My ideas come from many places. I keep notes on things that I think are cool or interesting. They might come from television, movies, random tidbits I see on the internet. Sometimes, I might be driving and see something that gives me an idea that connects to another idea. A book or a story usually isn’t one idea; it’s more like a bunch of ideas strung together in some (hopefully) coherent form.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
When I’m not writing or hanging out with the fam, I spend way too much time on the PlayStation. My game of the moment is Elder Scrolls Online (ESO). Earlier this year it was Destiny 2 and a little bit of Uncharted 4, which I still need to finish. My primary on ESO is a Khajiit, and I’m currently at level 460ish. Oh, and Fallout 4. I’m still picking that one up on and off. My son plays that one as well. We are both looking forward to Fallout 76.
How about a sneak peek between the pages of Wild Spirits of the Hollow?I stood at the edge of the trees, staring at the light deep within the forest. Between it and me, a sea of shadow concealed the underbrush and all that lurked there. This forest, like many other forests, would have its insects, snakes, tangles of who-knew-what, maybe wildcats or some other thing ready to pounce on and maim me.After hours of walking along a secluded, mountain highway, my brain was thoroughly scrambled. I knew enough to know that, and I knew enough to not fully trust what I was seeing.
It might be a lie, the light, a mirage conjured by some desperate part of my mind. I’d told enough lies to others, why not myself?
A fantasy of stumbling upon a cabin with friendly occupants swam through my mind. They’d have food left over from dinner, a plate they’d be happy to hand over to someone who really needed it, and I did really need it. Lunch was a distant memory, as well as the Skittles from my backpack, my bottle of water. If I made it anywhere alive, I would really have to reevaluate my packing priorities.
I sighed. Unless I wanted to sleep next to the highway, that light was my only hope. I adjusted my backpack straps and stepped into the trees.
I plodded through the darkness in high tops that weren’t made for terrain any more intense than a mall floor. I also regretted wearing shorts and a t-shirt because there was no trail, only weeds and trees and rustling sounds made by small animals nearby.
All the while, the light in the distance remained bright, burning my eyes, but I kept my sights on it because that was hope, even if it never seemed to get any closer.
I kept my mind off my creepy surroundings by considering who I would be for the people who awaited me. Had someone picked me up as I attempted to hitchhike, that lucky individual would’ve had the opportunity to hang out with a model, who was on her way to Miami.
Everybody likes to hang out with famous people and people who are about to be famous. I’ve noticed this before. When I tell them whatever version of the story I’d concocted for the evening, their eyes would light up as if I had offered to take them along to fame and fortune.
The model story was my go-to. I was lanky and odd looking in a way that some people found attractive or interesting, at the very least, plausible model material. This was not the person I would be in the cabin. I didn’t have the energy to keep up the behaviors that went along with that lie.
Models didn’t eat substantial food. Models ate iceberg lettuce and drank lemon, cucumber water. My model did, anyway.
There in the woods with possible food ahead of me, there was no way I could keep that up. I didn’t care what food someone shoved under my nose. The idea of grilled opossum made my mouth water. Boiled weeds? Fine. I’d eat anything.
I tried to come up with another story, but the most compelling at that moment was my own. Broken car. Girl wandering the woods in hope of finding food and shelter. I was filthy and growing filthier by the minute. If I had scissors in my backpack, I would’ve chopped off at least half of my long, brown hair just to get rid of the tangles. That evening, I wouldn’t have to fake a look of utter desperation. So I let the story be what it was.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Contemporary, fantasy, fiction, Lea Ryan, Supernatural, Wild Spirits of the Hollow by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
