Today, I have a wonderful writer friend, Carole Avila, talking about her latest release, Death House, and answering some questions. I think you have such courage writing a horror, Carole. I don't think I could get that right without making it cheesy.
I'm in the middle of reading her fascinating paranormal romance, Eve’s Amulet~Book 1.
Interview:
What is the best thing for you
about being a writer?
Besides
the obvious of doing what I love, I enjoy working where I want, when I want.
It’s so great to wake up in the morning and know that the day is mine. However,
with that said, I have a small part-time job because I am still in the process
of becoming a full-time writer.
What is the hardest thing for
you about being a writer?
It’s a
challenge for me to find the patience as I wait to become an official “financially
successful international best-selling author.” Also, it’s a drag that like
other authors I know, it’s hard to find readers who are willing to give an
honest critique of an entire work in a timely manner.
What genre/s do you write and
what genre is your latest release?
I love
so many different genres. Since I write what I dream, the genres are already
chosen, but they all have some romance involved. Eve’s Amulet~Book 1 is a
paranormal romance and historical fiction. Death House, my latest release, is a
YA horror story and paranormal teen romance.
What essential things have you
learned about writing in the last year?
That’s
a great question, Kathy. It’s essential to connect to other writers, as they’re
my biggest support group because they understand all that entails being a
writer. It’s important to support your written works through marketing and
promotion. Lots of us don’t enjoy that part, but maybe with a better attitude,
it will be almost as enjoyable as the writing process. I’m still working on the
attitude part!
Who is your favourite heroine
from your books and why?
In Death
House, Adley works hard to move beyond her fear, and I admire that in people.
Adley doesn’t deny that her fear exists, but she’s willing to acknowledge it
and still do what is right for her despite the fear.
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.
Until
now, I hadn’t given this question much thought, so here’s my off-the-top-of
my-head answer: Ranger, from Janet Evanovich’s One for the Money series because he’s mysterious—a man’s man
without being macho and abusive to women; Thor, because Chris Hemsworth is
totally hot; Derek Morgan, Shemar Moore’s character on Criminal Minds because
he’s intelligent, loves women but treats them with respect, and has a sense of
humor despite the gore of his job; and Captain Kirk—who accepts himself despite
his flaws and he totally trusts his gut instincts. I think that’s sexy in a
man!
Tell us about your journey in
writing this book.
I think
it took Death House so long to get out the door because I made the mistake of
not trusting my own intuition, yet I’m glad I listened to some great but
painful-to-my-ego critiques that made a positive difference in the story. But
the most significant part of the writing process was developing my confidence
as a writer and overcoming my fear of what people would think. Once I decided
to pursue writing professionally, everything shifted for the better as far as
my writing career goes.
Tell us three quirky or
interesting things about yourself.
I had
to ask my boyfriend to answer this. He said I have a wonderful ability to make
weird things sound good, like I could make an old flower pot sound like it
belongs at the Ritz. (I think he means I have a good imagination.) He also said
he likes my laugh—it’s weird but cute. (He never told me that before.) He
thinks it’s weird that that I don’t like going to Mexico, eating hot foods, and
know only a handful of Spanish words, even though I’m Mexican-American. (That’s
the Carmelite nuns’ fault—they told my mom not to let us learn Spanish or “act”
like Mexicans and being a good catholic, she listened.)
What rituals do you use to help
you focus or get the words down on the page e.g. music or a snack.
I
cannot listen to music while writing...it distracts me! I end up wanting to
listen to the soundtrack or lyrics rather than writing. I like to have a hot chai
latte by my side or glass of water, and in between pages that are hard to write
or edit I clear my thoughts with a quick game of solitaire or rummy on my
computer.
Mention something unique about
your books and your writing style.
I dream
most all of my books or “see” them in meditations. I think that anything ever
written, is being written, or will be written already exists in another
dimension and we just have to connect with the Universe (God, Source, Creator,
etc.) and listen. Weird, huh?
What book would you like to work
on next?
I want
to edit finished drafts of a contemporary drama romance and a literary women’s
fiction work. I’m still writing Eve’s Amulet~Book 2, as well as my non-fiction
work on the long term effects of abuse.
Blurb:
15 year-old Adley doesn’t know that an evil being born of a
generational curse haunts her grandmother’s mansion or that it hides in a dark
portal beneath her bed. Adley will die on her next birthday unless she can find
a way to end the evil. She meets Victor, the only one who can destroy the curse
forever. Together they can save future lives, but will they succumb to fear
just as they found real love?
Excerpt:
The overhead light flickered off
and on. Adley glimpsed a hulking shadow lurking in the corner of her room
between the closet and bedroom door. As dark as night itself, the black figure
started to take shape right in front of her eyes. Then the lights went out
completely.
Adley reached backward for the
light switch. If the bulb still worked, the obscure image would disappear the
moment the light when on. The bright flash relieved her sense of unease when
she looked back to the corner, but only for the briefest moment. As predicted,
the shadow was no longer there.
Now it stood right in front of
her.
A long string of bones snapped
out the top of the obsidian mass with a spidery hand tethered on the end and
whipped itself straight at her. Adley jerked to the side and the clawed limb
smashed into the door and locked it. Too scared to scream, she ran to the other
corner of the room, farthest from the door. Adley grabbed a frame off the
dresser and threw it at the dark mass. The shadow dissolved.
She willed every ounce of
strength in a sprint for the door. From out of nowhere, the hand shot out in
front of her and spread its fingers like a catcher’s mitt ready to grab
whatever came its way.
Adley slid beneath the bones and
into the door as if she was sliding into home base. The spindly object grabbed
her foot as she hit the door. Adley kicked at it and her foot crushed the bony
hand. It broke into pieces that scattered across the floor, clattering like a
bowl of marbles.
The creature cackled and
whispered clearly into her ear, “Aaad––”
“Shut up!” she shouted. “Don’t
say it! You have no right to say my name!”
She grabbed hold of the handle,
ignoring the freezing burn on her skin. Adley yanked the door open and looked
back.
Five skeletal fingers with deadly sharp nails flew directly
at her face.
Wow, Carole, you know how to write scary! I'm amazed at the variety of genres you can write. Was so lovely learning more about you.
Here is where you can buy Death House:
