Three local authors were invited to be in an author panel / book signing, and I was one of them. I've held a workshop at the library before, so I was more than happy to do this again. However, this time, I shared the spotlight with two other awesome authors who live in my area - Josi Kilpack and Melissa J Cunningham.
It was fun answering questions from people interested in becoming authors themselves. And of course, the book signing afterwards, is always entertaining.
I'm very happy to announce that my very first YA Fantasy story has been released!!
I'm also very nervous. This is the first time I went out on a limb and wrote this kind of book. Thanks to my niece, Dusti Miller, she helped me turn this story into one that readers of all ages will love. (grins)
I thought I'd tease you with the prologue. ENJOY!
PROLOGUE
Salem, Massachusetts 1720
Jasper King dashed
across the field, ducked under the wooden gate, and ran as fast as his
fourteen-year-old legs would carry him. Fear of the unknown spread through him
like wildfire. With each step, his buckled shoes slipped on the damp grass and
he struggled to stay upright. Afraid he might drop the black, leather-bound
book, he clutched it tighter and hurried toward the house as though the devil
himself was on his heels.
As he came closer
to the two-story A-framed house, tears stung his eyes. Ma’s laundry hung on the
clothesline, and the aroma of baked bread and freshly churned butter filled the
air. When he reached home, he would feel safe and secure. He hoped. But then he
must find a way to get his brother back and destroy the book—Satan’s own
tool—once and for all.
Jasper’s mind
reeled with fear. How had he allowed this to happen? As he sped past the well,
his toe caught a stone. He stumbled and flailed to the ground. The book flew
from his hands and bounced open in front of him. Sharp rocks bit into his knees
and palms and he cried out. The pages, like wicked eyes, pierced his soul. Panic
grew inside him, overshadowing the pain of his wounds.
Jasper scooted
away from the book. He dared not touch it for fear its vileness would sink into
his skin like venom from a snakebite.
“Let me be,” he
shouted at the book. “You will not take me!”
Above him, thick,
dark clouds gathered in the sky, and the air turned chilly. The wind whipped violently
around him, tearing at his clothes and hair. Jasper’s heart sank in despair. He
knew what was coming. He swallowed hard and clenched his fists. Not matter
what, he couldn’t allow the book to weave its magic spell around him as it had
David.
Only a short time
ago, he’d watched helplessly as the book had taken his brother. Taken him! David’s screams still echoed
in Jasper’s head. He covered his ears, closed his eyes, and prayed the memory
would quickly disappear.
There was only one
logical explanation. Jasper’s grandmother had been hung for witchcraft, and
although the family believed she’d been judged wrongly, Jasper now had a
different opinion. Obviously, the book held some kind of power. Had his
grandmother truly practiced witchcraft and cast a spell on its pages?
A high pitched
whistle emanated from the book. In the distance David’s voice called out to
him.
“David? Where are
you?” Jasper cried.
“Please…help…me…”
Each word of David’s plea grew softer until it silenced completely.
Tears spilled down
Jasper’s face. He wiped the back of his cuffed sleeve across his cheeks as
helplessness expanded in his chest. What would he tell his ma and pa? He was
certain they would never believe what happened. Even now, Jasper wondered if he
was dreaming. But he’d watched how the pictures on the pages shifted and grew…
He shivered. Nay,
this was not a dream. Something evil had settled inside the book and was after
him, even after snatching his brother.
A white mist
swirled from the pages, rising up like smoke from a chimney. Within seconds,
the mist had transformed into hands…their beastly claws reaching toward him.
Jasper cried out.
He scrambled to stand, but slipped and slammed to his knees once again. Perhaps
he would meet his brother’s fate after all. Who would tell his family what
happened to them? Who would destroy the vile book so it never devoured another
soul?
Warm tears slid
down his cheeks. He blinked them back and looked toward the house. He saw his
ma running through the tall grass toward him. She called out, but the bitter
wind kept her words from reaching his ears.
The white mist
thickened around him. Jasper’s body froze, as did his mind.
I absolutely love it when I stumble upon a review of one of my stories on the internet. After reading this review, I knew I had to share it. I'm grinning so wide right now and bursting with pride. Yeah, go figure, right? Thanks so much to Eva Lucia for this FIVE STAR awesome review and for making my day brighter!
”Victoria Fawson desperately needs answers about her father’s death. When she visits the Maitland Manor to discover those answers, she finds only secrets…haunting secrets that leave her wondering who she can trust. Should she trust her feelings for the one man who hides from the world—the man who might put her in danger?
Justin Maitland hasn’t been human for over a year. He knows things about his family—things that could destroy Victoria. The only way to help her is to send her back home without learning anything. Yet, how can he let her go when he’s given her his heart?”
Where to begin?Do you know the feeling when you open a book, read the first pages and quickly realize that the book will haunt you, both awake and asleep, of wanting to know more about its characters and its plot?
This is feeling that I felt while reading “Haunted Secrets”. It is one of the best books that I have read for a very long time. I didn’t know of the author, Marie Higgins, but luckily, I downloaded it as a coincidence as a Kindle version and started reading one sleepless night. Once I started to read, I was intrigued from the beginning and I really didn’t want to finish it, so I forced myself to take breaks once in a while and put it away – just to save it for a bit longer.
I have always been extremely fascinated and intrigued when an author mixes historical and socio-cultural facts with fiction, and that’s what Marie Higgins achieves. The story is set in mid-1900th Century in Cornwall, England; a time when high status and marriage were some of the most important factors. The story is filled with family traditions, relations, secrets and intrigues. I love the idea of old myths and traditions influencing the plot and the characters of it. The story was well-written and the clear descriptions of the characters made it so easy to get under their skin.
The main character, Victoria Fawson, comes to Maitland Manor to solve the riddle about her father’s death and along the way, you learn more and more about the Maitland family and what they really are capable of. “Haunting Secrets” is a mix of Victorian history, romance, fantasy and there’s a riddle to solve.
Already from the beginning, when Victoria comes to Maitland Manor, you know as a reader that there are things left untold and when Victoria walks around in the big house with the many corridors, it’s easy to get the feeling that you are there yourself – and this is because to Marie Higgins’ interesting visual writing.
“Northanger Abbey”-vibe
While reading the book, I got a feeling of mystery and gothic elements. The atmosphere of the book was brilliant and I can easily imagine myself walking around in Maitland Manor, opening every closet to find secrets left behind. It is never possible to compare literature, but personally, I thought a bit of “Northanger Abbey” by Jane Austen while reading this. Especially concerning the gothic elements, but also the fact that the female heroine wishes to be independent and only marry for love, not social status. I have always liked when authors have shown women as independent and strong, like Jane Austen, even though it would have been criticized during the time it was written.
Another thing that intrigued me was the classic love story; the theme of star-crossed lovers (known from Shakespeare), but it indeed works in this story. But I will not reveal everything about the story because as a reader it was fantastic to slowly sink deep into the world of Maitland Manor, and everyone should have that experience with this book.
My opinion on the book:
As told earlier, it is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I was lucky that I found this book because I felt that with the use of different genres, it was made for me. Of course, it is very subjective depending what people like, but as for me, it was definitely a great book and hopefully I will get the chance to purchase it for my book shelf one day (sadly, it can only be bought as an Ebook right now). Marie Higgins is a very talented author and I’m so happy that I by accident found her book. Now I can’t imagine the fact of never reading it!
This book truly haunted me and in the end, it finally revealed its secrets to me…
I will look forward to reading more of Marie Higgins’ works because she has a certain way of intriguing and inviting the reader into her magical and literary universe.
I can hear Bing Crosby singing White Christmas now...except I'm dreaming of a ROMANCE Christmas. Hey, what can I say? I love watching those cheesy Christmas romances movies on Netflix or other TV stations. So that got me to thinking - what about my Christmas stories? (And why can't I find someone to turn my stories into movies???) Do my readers know how many Christmas romance stories I have? For one week only (Dec 8th - Dec 15th), all of my Christmas stories will be priced at 99 cents!!!!! Here is my Christmas story list:
Katelyn Palmer never believed any harm could
come from using her college crush as the hero in her first romance novel—the
novel that jumpstarted her writing career. However, when Shane Hunter storms into town,
demanding to meet the writer who used his identity Katelyn is confronted with
more than her long, silent emotions. If
Shane takes her to court for invasion of privacy, her career would be over.
Shane doesn’t know how to act when his ex sister-in-law accuses him of having
an affair while he was married—and then shows him the romance book as
proof. Now he wants to know who this
author really is and why she used his name, and most of the events in his life
for her story. Desperate to know the truth
Shane befriends Katelyn but he does not expect to be attracted to her, even
more unexpected is the joy he finds watching his twins fall in love with the
woman who is stealing his heart, too...
Buy Audiobook for FREE (leave me a comment and ask me for the free code!)
Dorothy Paxton is not pleased when a
handsome Englishman walks into her inn and announces he's taking her to England
to reunite her with the grandfather who turned his back on her years ago. Her
escort, Calvin Seton, bribes her by paying her brother's doctor's bills, and
soon she's on the ship sailing for London. Little by little, Calvin's charm
softens her heart. While her lady's companion teaches her to become a lady,
Dorothy is secretly wondering if the price of love is worth it. Especially when
she knows Calvin will walk out of her life as soon as they reach England.
In a desperate attempt to keep a
man from her past who was wanted by the police from noticing her, Kelsey
Manning makes a good-looking stranger an offer. She’ll pay Rick Jarmin if he
pretends to know her. That mere request lead into a dangerous kiss . . . An
unforgettable kiss through following the bad guy and putting their lives in
danger.
Unwilling to let another man
control her life, Dr. Jordan Reed hires Brock Hamill to portray her new love
interest to satisfy her nagging stepmother. Part of the bargain is that the new
man convinces her ex-boyfriend that Jordan has happily moved on. Unfortunately,
it’s hard to prove when Brock blames Jordan for his sister’s suicide and
embarks on a mission to destroy her psychiatric credibility. Acting the part of
a patient, his mission is deterred by the doctor’s sweetness and giving heart,
and when he discovers her life is in jeopardy, he’s willing to reveal his true
identity to save her. Will Jordan forgive his
deceit when she learns the truth?
Charlene Randall's
neighbor is all wrong for her. Rich and handsome, Damien Giovanni's love 'em
and leave 'em lifestyle isn't a fit for her. Charley wants it all—the love, the
romance, the white picket fence, and someday children. When the new Channel
Nine Anchorman shows up at her station, Charley sets her sights on her old high
school crush, Maxwell Harrington. Of course, he doesn't remember her, but
thanks to the Internet, Charley is armed and ready to make him her boyfriend—an
easy no-fail method "Ten Ways to Win your Man".
Damien knows Max
plays fast and loose, and Damien refuses to let Charley's heart be broken
again. He offers to help her—to be her own fairy godmother. He does this to get
closer to her and win her heart. He's never been one who wanted to marry and
have a family, but with Charley he'll consider settling down and becoming a
family man.
But which man will Charley want? It's easy to lose
track of who's wrong or right.
Andrew Merrick was whisked from his
home in England, 1848 to another time, the very day a mob had attacked his
family. Wondering why he remains in this strange place, all he wants is to find
the treasure his father had hidden, hoping this might take Andrew back home.
But he’s running out of time. When he meets a lovely woman in this new century,
he feels she is the one who will help him.
Halle Chapman has come to England
to find her missing father. What she finds instead is a nice man who claims
he’s from the past. Although she doesn’t believe in time-travel, deep in her
heart, she knows she must help Andrew. What she finds instead is that
discovering the key to her future lies in the past. Now, to return to her own
time, she needs to solve the mystery surrounding Andrew Merrick and his
family’s murder.
When a man flees danger to
protect himself in a mountain hideaway, will he be able to protect his heart
from the woman he discovers in the back seat of his Jeep? Looking for someone
who really understands her, she dares give her heart and trust to a stranger.
Justin Monroe's future
father-in-law wants him dead. Running for his life, Justin escapes his wedding
rehearsal and head for the hills. A December snowstorm and a stowaway are the
last things he needs.
When Brooke Cavanaugh wakes
in the back seat of the wrong car, she is confronted with more than a blizzard.
Although leery of men, Justin captures her interest ... and her heart. It must
have been the mistletoe.
Humility is a hard
emotion to swallow, but Jace Corbett must relook at his faults if he wants to
keep from freezing his what's-it off. Literally. In the middle of the
Colorado mountains at a family lodge, his date kicks him out of the cabin. The
lady in the next cabin is his angel of mercy and rescues him...in more ways
than one.
I'm very excited to interview the narrator for my book "Waiting for You". I was thoroughly delighted in the way she played my characters in the story. And I'm very happy she agreed to do this interview!
Briefly tell me about yourself. What makes Paula Slade
tick?
Paula: My family, my friends, a house full of pets, and the day-to-day pleasure of enjoying a life filled with creative possibilities! Me:
What made you want to become a narrator?
Paula: Audiobook narration has
been a natural evolution for me. Most of my working life has been involved in
the entertainment industry. Before beginning my career on radio, I majored in
music at the American Conservatory in Chicago, studying voice and opera
performance. Over the years, I’ve done everything from on-camera television and
film, to theatre, plus behind the microphone, recording voice-overs for
commercials and industrial training modules.
I was also fortunate to be able to create programming
(writing/producing/directing) for radio/crossover television. And, along the
way there were reporting stints for newspapers, magazines and online sites. Seeing
the burgeoning audiobook market take hold in the last few years was the impetus Me:
I'm so impressed with your credentials! Do you always enjoy narrating stories? Was there ever a
time you became frustrated with this career?
Paula:
For the
most part I love it! I get to exercise
my acting and storytelling skills, plus learn something new almost every
day. The only frustrating part is
finding the right book, that is well written and is a good fit as far as
marketability and personal interests.
Me:
I think it would be hard to narrate a book that wasn't well written. I'm very happy you agreed to do mine! So tell me of a fun experience you had narrating a story.
Paula:
Actually, it was when we were recording your
wonderful book “Waiting for You.” I love
ghost stories, and I also love comedy. (Some of my theatrical training was at SecondCity
in Chicago, and
I don’t often have much of a chance to use comedic timing.) Your character “Vanessa”
was so much fun to interpret! Her comedic interludes interspersed with a beautifully
moving love story made it fun. Also,
there was one scene in particular (possible spoiler here) where Nick is
embracing Abigail (who is a ghost), and a policeman comes along and knocks on
their car window to find out what he’s doing.
I laughed so hard and had so many retakes on that scene, but it was fun,
fun, fun!
Me:
I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the humor in my story!! And I'm glad you laughed at that part. When a reader climbs into my characters shoes, they need to know how they are feeling, and I'm glad you did.
How do you create such compelling voices? What goes
through your mind when you’re recording different characters?
Paula:
Before I
begin recording, I do a total read-through, and along the way I find myself
getting in sync with the author’s style, character development, and intent of
sub text in the dialogue. Once the
reading process is done, I have a full mental image of each of the characters
as well as the storyteller. When it
comes time to say, or act out a line, I envision (in my mind’s eye) myself as
the character or the storyteller. This
is quite a fascinating process, as sometimes it takes several days to shed
different personas. (Last year, I had to
come up with the voice for a talking Chihuahua in Jeff T. Bauer’s “Sadie Sapiens,”
and I still anthropomorphize one of our dogs.)
Me:
I would imagine doing this very thing, too! When you narrated, “Waiting for You”, there was a special
trick you did in the story when my hero was on the phone. Can you explain how
you did that?
Paula:
Ah, we thought
it would be fun to try something new for “Waiting for You.” We loved the first comedic
scene so much we were looking for something unexpected that would draw the
listener in even further. Our company’s
senior engineer and all around techie, Barry Gillogly (who is also my husband)
came up with the idea of using an FFT filter with customized settings. It worked out so well that we’ve employed a
similar technique in later books and the authors seem to love it! It was a fun creative choice that worked.
Me:
I feel so privileged that you tried this on my story first. It was amazing!
Do you have a website where other writers can find you if
they want to hire you as their narrator?
Paula:
Yes, through our company, Artistic Media Associates, Inc. in
the greater Boston area and online at www.artisticmediaassociates.com.
, Or, through my personal website Paula Slade: Audiobooks at www.paulaslade.com , which has links to
all my social media sites. Well, this has been so much fun Marie. Thank you so
much!
Me: Paula, thank you so much for the interview. I feel as though I know you better now. I hope you'll consider recording another one of my stories in the future. I would be one lucky author if you agreed.
