Guest Author Interview - Cathrina Constantine

Two firsts on my blog today - firstly, I'm having a pre-release guest blog post. Cathrina's book comes out on the 24th August from Black Opal Books. In print and digital!! And secondly, she's my first author who writes another genre i.e. not romance.

As a teenager, I was fascinated by fantasy books about the battle between good and evil like Frank Peretti's book, This Present Darkness. There's nothing like that thrill of wondering how the good guys are going to overcome the overwhelming odds.

Cathrina Constantine's book, "Wickedly They Come" is a YA/Adult-paranormal thriller; a gripping, dark fantasy where the battle between heaven and hell is escalating, and earth is their battleground.

Cathrina's book is part 1 of a four book series, so for you series and adrenaline addicts, here is the cover and blurb:

Haunting visions, unusual strength, and special paranormal talents are the norm for Seeley and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Jordan. Their lives become perilous when the leader of The Black Order stalks them, trying to fulfill a prophecy to consecrate Jordan to his lord—Lucifer.

Previously homeschooled and naive, Jordan is inducted into the social culture of teendom at Elma High, where she encounters Mark, a mysterious new classmate who is hell bent on keeping her unscathed from the forces of evil.

I'm fascinated by the character, Jordan, as I homeschool my three kids.

Cathrina has answered a few questions about herself and her writing.

1. What is the best thing for you about being a writer?
I can work at home.

2. What is the hardest thing for you about being a writer?
The blocks, and then I over think and over write. I get wordy and dramatic. I need to tone it down and let it flow naturally.

3. What genre/s do you write and what genre is your latest release?
I write YA. My debut novel is a dark, paranormal thriller. It’s geared toward older teenagers to adults. I guess you could call it a YA Crossover.

4. What essential things have you learnt about writing the last year?
It’s time consuming and hard, mental work!

Who is your favourite heroine from your books and why?
I like the tenacious Jordan. She’s full of spitfire, and not afraid of anything—except the dating game.

6. What type of hero do you like? Super alpha, wounded or somewhere in between? Or even something totally different? You could give an example from a movie or well-known book.
I love Super Alpha with lots of wounds! Does that answer the question?
Of course, love that answer!

7. Tell us about your journey in writing this book.
It was a long journey from start to finish. Three years of writing, revisions, learning and honing my craft, and then composing countless queries. I was ready to give up when I started getting positive feedback. Then in two days time, I received three offers of representation.

8. Tell us three quirky or interesting things about yourself.
I don’t think of myself as quirky, more like plain and ordinary.

9. What rituals do you use to help you focus or get the words down on the page e.g. music or a snack?
I can’t listen to music. I tried, and found myself dancing and singing in the living room, neglecting my writing. Although, it was a nice break. I like complete quiet. I tend to drink too much coffee.

10. Mention something unique about your books and your writing style.
I think people will be somewhat surprised when they read Wickedly They Come. I wanted to inspire young people and adults by writing a powerful, action packed story with a message.

11. What book would you like to work on next?
I recently began a contemporary YA story with the main character being a boy, which is different for me.

12. Where can we buy your book?
My debut novel, Wickedly They Come will be released in print and digital on August 24, 2013. It will be available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more...

So, hold on for a few more days .... it's coming.

Here's a short excerpt from her book just to get that adrenalin pumping:

Evidently, Asa had finally decided the time had come to make their lives a living hell.

“Watch out!” Jordan cried.

The two goons knocked Seeley to the mat. They tied her wrists then hefted her to her feet, facing Jordan. The man with the bloody nose mopped his face and then, without warning, hit Seeley in the chin. Her head snapped back as Jordan screamed. Seeley held onto consciousness, though her head swirled and her throbbing chin began to swell.

“You bitch—” the man shrieked, glaring at Seeley. “I think you broke my nose.”He then walked over to Jordan, grasped her chin with bloody fingers, and drooled. “Young—tender—meat—”

The demon restraining Seeley sounded anxious. “Hank, we’re not allowed to kill her.”
Hank gestured to Seeley. “This lady’s fair game, there’s a high price on her head. We’ll be greatly rewarded.”

The other demons nodded with crooked smirks. “We’re allowed to stay and play as long as we bag souls for his gain. The more souls, the longer we get to stay.”

“Why? Don’t you like your fiery perdition?” Seeley said dryly.

Her remark infuriated them, returning Hank to gloat in front of Seeley. Using the distraction, Jordan subtly tried to weasel her way out of the chokehold.

With his left hand, Hank grabbed Seeley’s ponytail, tugging her face close to his red eyes. They looked like hot coals as he sneered. “We’re not ready to leave, not with all this fun we’re having. Souls are jamming the highway to hell—we just nudge them in the right direction.” A gawky sound rattled in his throat, forcing Seeley to breathe in his foul breath. “Your kind of souls are a pain in the ass.”

Hank dug a switchblade out of his pocket. With a decisive snap, he held the silver blade to Seeley’s throat.

A great, big thank you to Kathleen Bosman for featuring me on her blog today!!
It's a pleasure!

You can find Cathrina Constantine at these sites:
http://www.cathrinaconstantine.com
http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/cathrina.constantine.3
https://twitter.com/cathconstantine
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/16051029-cathrina-constantine