Promo Post and Review & Interview: Final Redemption (The Chosen Book 3) by Christine James

Ok, this is not the cover for the book, Final Redemption, obviously, but I love this artwork, and to me, it resembled the way Erin in this series would look, to me anyway. (i only changed one thing, made her eyes lavender, like in the book) (I found this pic on a free fantasy wallpapers website, here is direct link to this one, Fantasy Angel) 

Lets start this off first with the interview with the author Christine James, she answers a question on a summary of the series, and what the characters would look like to her. Then, in my review, I say to me, what they looked like. Just having some fun. This is a great series, and I fell in love with these characters, and really connected with them. 

So, here is Christine James:

Interview:

 1. Where did the ideas come from for the Chosen series, Fallen, Risen, and Final Redemption?

Fallen was never supposed to be a series.  I've written so many different genres (mostly historical/pirate romance novels) and it dawned on me that I'd never actually written a paranormal.  I liked the challenge it presented, and I LOVE reading them, so I thought why not give it a go...In fact, when I originally wrote Fallen, it was set to be a vampire short story, for a small writing group I have on another media sight called Cafemom.  The more I thought about it, the more I really didn't like Angelo for a vampire.  I love vampire novels, don't get me wrong, there are so many great ones out there I just didn't feel like i could come up with an original enough idea.  I used my knowledge of angels as well as my biblical knowledge ( the bible was a big tool in my research) combined with some cool lore and myths and wham Fallen was born.  However, it was still never intended for publication, I am a horrible speller and very grammatically challenged.  A friend of mine told me that a local author had published with Amazon so it was something that piqued my interest, but I wasn't going to publish Fallen at all, in fact by this point I'd completely forgotten all about it.  It wasn't my favorite piece of work at all.  My best friend, and in most cases my muse, pushed me into Fallen.  I argued until I was blue in the face and second guessed myself even more.  She pushed me until I gave in, though not without arguing. So I opened Fallen and began working on it some more… Adding and subtracting and polishing.  Once I finished Fallen, I didn't have that feeling like it was over, I wasn't satisfied with how it ended.  There had to be more, i felt like there were more to these people and that their stories weren't so cut and dry.  Risen was born and within the first three pages, I knew that there would be another book.  Once Final Redemption was finished, I felt like everything was complete.  I was satisfied.

 2.  Can you tell us about the series as a whole, without too much spoilery for hopeful readers?

Wow, ummm, lol.  We start in Fallen with a young girl being "Chosen" to save the earth.  She's virtually alone in the world, having never known what it was like to be in love.  Fallen takes us on a journey with many trials. The characters are all Nephilim, and even though they have specific powers, they are flawed and honestly at times I just wanted to slap one (or all of them).  There are situations that are real in life and I wanted the readers to feel that.  In Fallen, centuries old friendships are tested, love blossoms, boundaries are pushed, and lies are told. The characters aren't sure who to believe or who to trust. Risen, picks up not too long after Fallen ends.  Here, we switch main characters.  The main characters of Fallen aren't the main focus, however they still play a vital role.  We switch to different members of the little group and literally get inside their heads for a little while.  Betrayal plays a massive role in Risen as well as tragedy.  There are some really heart wrenching moments in this book and we get a true look at how seriously emotionally damaged some of these poor characters are.Final Redemption literally picks up a few weeks after Risen.  Here the characters are completely broken and unsure of everything.  They are full of self doubt and hurt caused by each other they can’t connect like they need too.  Here they have to repair themselves and the emotional damage they caused to one another in order to do their jobs properly.  We also meet another member of the crew!!!!! This one is chock full of emotion and confusion.   Though these have romance in them, they are not cookie cutter happily ever after.  They are presented with real situations and real confusion.  I often felt confused for them. 

3.  Who is your favorite character in the series?

Throughout the WHOLE SERIES I would have to say Blaze.  He’s hot (all pun intended) but Lucy would have to be my fave from Final Redemption.  She’s a spark plug and I love it.

4.   I love getting inside the authors head, so to give us a visual. If this was to be a movie, which actors could you see play the Chosen 7? Plus Angie? Erin, Angelo, Thad, Blaze, Josh, Sable, and Lucy.

That’s a tough question.  When I write I see these people in my head and I mix their features with so many everyday people I see. Let’s see.Thad- Alexis Denisof Pic here (Wesley from Angel)Sable- Michael Clark Duncan Pic Here(even though Sable is white in the book) this is who I have envisioned as Sable.Angie- Megan Fox  (we all know what she looks like Here is pic)Angelo- Orlando Bloom (Pirates of the Caribbean style) (pic)Erin- Hayden Panettier (Pic here)Lucy- Jamie Chung (pic) or Bia Ling (Pic)Josh- Leland Chapman (Pic) (though I know he and Megan fox do not look like twins) this is who I had pegged as josh from the beginning.Blaze- a less serious version of Vin Diesel. (pic)  Same beautiful body though.

5.  Is there a favorite scene that you like the best? Can you share it, without too much spoilers?

There were a lot of scene’s I like.  Most of them contained Lucy and her snarky, to the point honesty and sarcasm.  But … probably the Football in the rain scene…

6.   Is there a part in any of the books that you either cried the most, or laughed the hardest? (I sure can think of some funny parts, with Lucy, lol)

   Yes, there is one particular scene in Final Redemption that had me literally sobbing.  I had to step away from it for a few days because it was completely raw and hit far too close to home, but I felt I HAD to go there to get that feeling.
   Lucy’s whole shirt vs. skin debate on the football game.(Here is that funny part Christine talks about, enjoy the teaser)    Lucy’s whole shirt vs. skin debate on the football game.(Here is that funny part Christine talks about, enjoy the teaser)
“’K, boys, it’s shirts against skins.  Lose ‘em,” Lucy said, pointing to the guys and ignoring Thad.“I beg your pardon?”  Thad said, aghast.“Why do we have to be skins?”  Josh complained.Lucy looked at Erin and they both shrugged and grabbed the hems of their shirts, preparing to haul them over their heads.“Whoa!”  Sable said, covering his eyes immediately.“Wait,” Josh, Angelo, and Thad said at the same time.“Hell, yeah,” Blaze chimed in.The girls stopped right before they fully exposed their chest.  “What?  You guys act like none of you have ever seen a pair of boobs in a bra before.  Josh saw mine a few hours ago and I know, for a fact, that three of you have seen hers outside the bra.”  Lucy looked pointedly at Thad, Blaze, and Angelo.Erin’s head snapped in Josh’s direction.  “JOSH!” she screeched, accidentally letting loose a snap of electricity. 

7.   Is there anything you would like to share with us that we may not know about you?

The day my writing becomes all about the money, will be the day I walk away from writing for good.

Author Bio:My Bio…

I come from and live in rural Missouri.  I'm the true country girl, right down to my pink Justin cowboy boots, and love for big, loud, and muddy trucks. My love of writing began when I was in the fifth grade, when my first story was a 'scary' story.  I've always been fascinated with books, and rarely without one. My family is the most important thing to me.  My parents and their marriage have had the largest influence in my life.  They taught me values that I still believe in and firmly rooted in, and if i achieve to be 1/2 of the parent they were to me, that would be amazing.  I have three younger brothers that I considers my best friends, and one fantastic sister-in-law, and one soon to be sister-in-law I adore.  I have the most INCREDIBLE in-laws any person could ever hope to have.  They are truly amazing and inspiring people. There are no dreaded or horrible in-law stories here, nor will there be, because I love them.I have two sons that are the center of my world. I am blessed and fortunate to say I get to stay at home with them... I've been married to my husband for ten and a half years and is proud to call him my biggest fan.The thing I love the most, outside of writing and my family, is making people laugh.  People come and go from our lives, touching and changing us in all kinds of ways.  I want to be the type of person that touches someone's life, even if it is by writing a book.  I believe that if only a quarter of the people in the world would loosen up and smile, the world would be a little bit happier. Never in my dreams did I believe my dreams would come true. I’ve always been a hopeless dreamer, and this goes to show everyone that no dream is impossible.

Find Christine James:

Goodreads | Blog | Twitter

My review:

Wow, this story really captivated my attention. I would dream about it, and think about it when not reading. It took over my life, lol. For those who had not read the first 2 books, I will basically do a summary, but warn you, there could be some spoilers for books 1 ( Fallen) and 2 (Risen).

We start this one where Risen ended. The Chosen Nephlimn still have the battle ahead agains Lilith and her demons. Now the the Chosen have something that Lilith doesn’t know about, that can help them win, I wont say what, as it would be a major spoiler for those who didn’t read the other 2.

I will say we had excitement non-stop, action and some fun sexy times. The war that Erin has going on with her feelings in this one is a major one. I feel so bad for Angeleo, but will say, Thad sounds pretty good to me. I pictured my own hereo for him (Thor) meaning the actor, Chris Hemsworth, who I LOVE.

Make sure to read the interview I did with Christine, she gives us her vision of the main characters. I will give my own too as I write this.

I was really happy with the few new characters that we have acquired, especially Lucy, who is funny, snarky, and just plain fun. I also loved Thad too, but hate the conflicts he causes.

I was sad about the whole Angie deal, if you read the first 2, you will know the path that she is headed, and its sad. But I will say, this book did end with satisfaction. All loose ends were tied up nice, and I was satisfied, but sad to see it end as well.

I want to point out, that this series, and this book especially is really well put together. I really can’t find any flaw in it. Only one thing that I know will but a few people, but I got used to, is the changing from one character to the next without a pagebreak, BUT in saying that, its done in a way, that your not lost. Also, I can’t be sure I have a finished copy, so there is that too. I do enjoy getting inside the different characters heads. It really makes me care about them, I feel they are part of me now. 

I connected in a big way to all of them, and that’s not something I always will do. Even Erin, who I took longer to warm up to in the first book, has grown on me, now I love her.

I highly recommend this book, and the previous ones. (you need to read them first, to know what’s going on)

I want to let you all know my own visual I have of some of these characters. Erin, I have an artist pic that shows an angle with the blonde hair, and lavender eyes, this could be Erin. That’s who I pictured. But if to pick an actress, I would have to pick Claire Holt (Rebekah in the Vampire Diaries show) 

For Thad, of course I see Chris Hemsworth (like when in Thor)

For Lucy, I pictured Krisin Kreuk (was Lana in Smallville, now in Beauty and the Beast on tv)

For Angie, I pictured Phoebe Tonkin (Played in The Secret Circle as Faye, now on Vampire Diaries as Tylers friend Haley)

For Josh I could see Steven McQueen (Vampire Diaries as Jeremy)

I had a harder time picturing Blaze, as to me, just about no-one without hair is attractive, and even though the description doesn’t fit entirely, I saw Shemar Moore as Blaze, as he looks great bald. (he is an agent on Criminal Minds tv show as Derek) I just could not picture Vin Diesel as the author described, as I do not think he is attractive.

Angelo, was hard, I ended up picturing Ian Somerhalder with them grey like eyes, close enough (Vampire Diaries for those who don’t know, as Damon)

For Sable, I could see The Rock being him, don’t know why, just popped into my head.

5 out of 5 stars for me

 This book was provided to me by the author for my honest review. 

Sources Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Kreuk, Phoebe Tonkin, Steven R. McQueen, Shemar Moore, Ian Somerhalder, The Rock, Claire Holt

Review~ LunAngelique (Book 1) By Kristin Campbell

Title: Lunangelique

Series: Lunangelique #1

Author: Kristin Campbell

Published: June 20, 2012

Goodreads | Smashwords

Find Kristen Campbell at:

Facebook | Blog | Twitter

For Alexis and Alex life has been great. They have loving parents, great friends and live a life every teenager dreams. However, they are adopted and Alexis struggles with wanting to know who their real parents are and not wanting to hurt her adopted parents. Then, a stunning guy moves across the street from them. One who has a secret past and seems to know things about Alexis. One who does mysterious things and leads her to other mysterious persons. One who pushes her to discover her extraordinary birth family and the truth between mythology and religion.

WOW, I loved this book so much, and was so happy that the sequel Sleeping Gods was out and bought it right away! Man, its just as good as JLA's Covenant Series. Story is totally different, but I mean as the meshing of modern day with some mythology int here and some angels too. This book was different in a great way.

Kristen is a brilliant author. I predict her career to be long and successful!

I wont say too much spoiler type things, because you need to discover the wonder of this story yourself.

Alexis and Alex (Alexander) are twins, who were adopted when they were babies. Its starts with Alexis (Lexi) wanting to find out about her biological parents. Alex tries to convince her that there is not need, as they love their adoptive parents, as they are great.

Well, not long after she starts to discover many things, and meets a few new people who are more than the normal, but she doesn't know this at first. When she meets a really good artist (she is also a great artist) who could be an older twin of her brother Alex, she starts to wonder if she just found a relative or something. I wont say more on that, you will find out.

Cole seems to be a great guy, and was wondering if he would turn out to be bad, and then Oliver, I was always un-sure of him.

I like Lexi, she is a strong female character. I was able to relate to her, but was a bit jealous of her great talents, but there is a reason for it, lol.

Here is a small taste to get your interest up:

“Just let me go, ******. Tell the others I got away. They won’t know the truth.”He watches me slip one hand out of a cuff,looking at me with wonder in his eyes again. “What are you? Just tell me,” he pleads. I keep eye contact with him as he lets me slip the other hand out of the cuff and I stand up, rubbing the impressions left behind by the cuffs.

If you like any modern day angel, fallen angel, or mythology books, you will love this. Its written well, better than well, brilliant!

I can't wait to get back to Sleeping Gods now. Check it out. You wont be sorry.

5 out of 5 stars for me, and highly recommended!

I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.

Check out Book 2 Sleeping Gods below is cover and Summary

Goodreads | Smashwords

Alexis must pick up the broken pieces of her heart and pull herself together because she has a mission: To awaken the sleeping gods. When she is at the point of giving up, wearing her pretend smiles and feels like there is nothing left of herself, her friend becomes her savior. Patryck helps put Alexis back together again and in return Alexis sees him as something more than a friend… Together with her brother, Alex, her father, Edmund, and a team of angels they make their way to Mount Latmos, to awaken the gods. But obstacles are in their way, one of them being Cole, the traitor, the one who shattered Alexis’ heart. New friends and family she never thought she would meet will come to aid Alexis. … And a love will blossom that will redefine the saying, “Love you forever.

Giveaway ~ Interview & Review Vlkolak King (The Gothic Memoirs Series #4) by Rebekah Armunsik

My Review:

Wow, where to start? This book was soooooo good, I have trouble putting it into words. It had my emotions on a roller-coaster along with Nadija. I actually cried at one very traumatic scene about ¾ in, wont say what, but man, this book sucks you into Nadija’s world right with her. I will say, it’s the best book so far. But then again, its hard to compare them, as its an ongoing story,  you have to read them all to understand it. They are memoirs in fact, written that way, and I love it.

This book continues right where we left off in book 3, Lucifer Rising. I won’t get into any spoilers for any of the books, as I want people who had not read any, to be able to read this, and see what a great series it really is, and give it a shot. This series is one that had me even more passionate about them than any other books out there, and there are many I really, really like, but this I love in a way I can’t explain.

Rebekah’s writing is top notch, it really is. It’s flawless, exceptional in a way that leaves me speechless. The way you get sucked in, and nothing else around you matters anymore.

I think the thing I love the most about this series, is that it is different than the usual vampire story, as I do not really call it that, as you can just as easily call it a fallen angel story. 

Basically, I will say one thing, this series of vampires are actually fallen angels, from long ago. When exiled to earth, they found surviving on earth extremely difficult, no food would sustain them, until they found only human blood would. This is where it starts. And they are able to give the “gift” to selected loved ones; they have their own society, and rules to follow. Which leads up to Nadija, who is an “old soul” lets say. She is a Guardian and Guardians are also as old as the Fallen, I won’t get into explaining the Guardians, but lets say it’s a line of female magical users, who are in touch with nature. I guess that’s the best way to sum it up. These Guardians are part of a council that governs the fallen and their offsprings and the transfers (people that have been made immortal) 

So, I believe anyone who enjoys fallen angels and or vampires, will really be able to get into this series. You start with The Memoirs of a Gothic Soul, which starts with Nadija’s life before she discovers this life, and follow her on the journey to discover who she is. (and that’s a great surprise, remember I said she is an old soul, well, you find out in 3^rd book, Lucifer Rising) Then you read Mariposa, the journey of Nadija’s learning of the ways of the Guardians and more, then Lucifer Rising. Where big things are discovered.

This book goes deeper into her past, and what she must do. She will loose people she loves, and the pain she feels you will feel.

I love the deep romance and love that continues with Nadija and Alexei who finally get married.

I continue to LOVE Nadija’s funny antics, lol, I can see what she means on some stuff, like the whole wedding deal, she is not into it, the crowds and all the stuff that goes with it. I am with her on that, me, can’t stand crowds and all that. Here is a funny quote about the whole wedding deal, lol:

Alexei caressed my back. “Are you all right?”“I’m fine … but you know I hate crowds—and people in general, for that matter. That was absolutely awful, and I’m certain I will never put myself through again. Why on Earth would people feel the need to go up to a complete stranger and kiss them? It’s weird, right?” I waited for him to confirm and approve my neurotic issues.All I got was a look of disbelief. “My darling, you are a social nightmare.”“What—you want a divorce now because I’m not fond of embracing strangers?” I asked sarcastically.He pulled me close and kissed my forehead. “Never!” 

That would be me, lol. Her whit and quick tongue had me laughing at times. She has a bit of a potty mouth, but its her, and find it hilarious. She seems harsh at times, but we get to see how passionate and caring she really is. She is very empathetic and I love her for it. She feels deeply for so many, and my heart hurt for her pain at some dramatic events she has to endure.

Here is another quote that I absolutely just love. It’s a thought that Diji (Nadija) is having at her wedding.

He had loved me for centuries;he’d loved me before it was necessary to mark time. We were two spirits forbidden to love, yet we abandoned all reason and allowed ourselves to be swept away. That, in my opinion, was true love— the kind of love you risk dying for. 

I can’t get into the story much more without spoiling things. I kept this as spoiler free as I could for all the books. But some things are mentioned, and impossible to keep the first 3 out of it. It’s all an ongoing story as I mentioned. So start with the first book, and don’t stop, as it just gets better and better. Book one is just a stepping stone to more.

Again, Rebekah has brought us an epic tale of fallen angels/vampires and the most epic love of all. You need to check it out.

5 out of 5 stars, but would give a 10 if I could!

Interview with Rebekah Armusik!

Question 1:

I would like to help readers get to know you, so what would you like to share that we may not know about you?

I was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in an area that was predominately Slovak. Growing up in this environment, surrounded by the rich culture, supernatural fascination, and folklore, truly molded me into who I am today and had a huge impact on my series. My grandmother, who lived one house down from me growing up, is a gifted story teller and her legends and tales became the very inspiration for my novels.As a child, she would gather the neighborhood children on her front steps and tell us stories of the “old country”.  Often, they were dark, morbid, and deeply romantic – I was enthralled. I was so enraptured by the darkness and beauty – the conflict and desire for redemption, that even as a young child, I knew I wanted to write and began dreaming of the world I have created. In many ways, my childhood was strange but very ideal in certain ways – I feel very fortunate.

Question 2:

Can you tell new readers or hopeful readers about the series? And how its not the “Usual” vampire story? Explain the best you can without major spoilers.

The series is difficult to summarize even under the most ideal circumstances - I always find this question to be terribly daunting. How do you simply describe an epic adventure, and without ruining the surprises and allure of the story?  I never feeling comfortable describing it as a vampire series because my vampires are fallen angels and not the stereotypical vampires that most expect. Though it’s deeply romantic, that is not the primary focus either. The novels are so layered it’s difficult to give it one clear explanation.

I have always been fascinated by Jewish mysticism, Catholicism, and witchcraft – and not necessarily in that order.  All of these passions shaped the novels and somehow, I was able to make it all work.My tale begins before time was recorded, during the first celestial war when God threw Lucifer into hell and separated his army. Some remained neutral and God felt that He could not trust these angels to remain in heaven and serve Him well, so He banished them to Earth as punishment.  The fallen had to adapt and because they were not born, but created, their bodies adjusted and mutated – hence the need for blood.

Without ruing the story, I also have incorporated the legends of Lilith, the first wife of Adam. Throughout history, Lilith has been demonized; she has been called the first vampire, a succubus, and sadly, the cause of stillborn deaths. But, I never liked or bought that idea. She simply didn’t dig Adam and in my opinion, that’s not a sufficient reason to make her the origin all things rancid and foul. So, taking some artistic license, I made her an ethereal goddess who catches the eye of Samuel- the Arch Angel of the elements and master of the wind. They fall in love and have 7 daughters with angelic blood and gifts.  Thus, the Guardian race is born and is, eventually, critical in helping the fallen adapt to their life on Earth.

However, the story is told in present day through the voice of Nadija, a young woman from the line of Lilith. She is not aware of her linage because her grandmother has kept it a secret for own selfish reasons.  Though it’s rooted in the past, it’s relatable because it’s told in a present and modern voice. I want to engage the audience, not distance them, and I achieve this by welcoming them to be part of the story, to be present on the journey.  Consequently, the reader learns most of the dramatic back stories from the characters that assist Nadija on her adventure to becoming the active Guardian Queen.

Question 3:

Have you traveled to the places Nadija does in the books?

 Yes, I have family in Bratislava.

Question 4:

Who is your favorite character, 2^nd and 3^rd favorites too, and why? I love Alexei, and Nadija too of course, and then James.

My favorite character will always be Nadija – I know her the best, we are inseparable. But I love writing each character for different reasons. Most are based off of real people so when writing them, I imagine their mannerisms, what they would say, or how they would say it. Writing Alexei is easy because I live with him – he is based on my husband. My husband is very nurturing and protective and has a very quick and dry sense of humor. So most of the conversations between Alexei and Nadija are actual conversations we’ve had. And yes, I wake up Eric in the middle of the night often worrying about things I cannot fix.Lastly, I love James and from my fan mail, so does everyone else! James is a mixture of my close guy friends – he embodies all their quirks, depth and insecurities. I have a few male friends that I have been close with since childhood and they tell me everything and are continually asking for my advice concerning women and everything else. I hate when they continue to complain about the same issues that I thought we already ironed out! I am not known for my patience or subtlety so it seems that I spend a lot of time yelling at them the way Nadija yells at James for continually repeating mistakes concerning women and life. It’s terribly mind-numbing.

Question 5:

I love to get into the authors head, and get a visual of the characters. If this was to become a movie, who would you see as Nadija, Alexei, Nickolas, James , Jozeph and Michael? (I agree with these choices by the way)

For Nadija, I would choose Jessica Brown Findlay – I love her work on Downton Abbey and knew immediately that she was perfect to play Nadija. Dija is complex; she is strong, elegant, well-spoken, sarcastic, and terribly self-deprecating and it would take an actress who is multi-faceted to do her justice. Nadija is not an average 23 year old woman; she is mature beyond her years and is a talented social chameleon – something that would need to be conveyed on film. She is different with Crash then with council members – she knows how to rise to the occasion with a certain amount of grace and poise.

For Alexei, I would choose Henry Cavill. Primarily because Alexei has such a sophisticated charm and a sense of humor that needs to be interpreted properly and I think Henry Cavill could easily translate that.

I believe that Chris Pine would make a great Nikolas - he has a certain amount of natural sophistication about him and an excellent sense of comedic timing.

James, Jozef and Michael are difficult to cast! I have yet to find someone that could do them justice. I’ll keep looking!

Question 6:

Which scene in any of the books, either made you cry the most or laugh the hardest?

Honestly, I cry and laugh a lot when writing. When I write, the movie is playing in my head - I am there with my characters. I can literally feel, smell and see everything so when something funny or tragic happens, I respond accordingly. Most times, I wonder if my readers “get” the humor of certain situations because I have a very dark and morbid sense of humor - I often wonder if they are experiencing the scenes the way I intend. For instance, I love writing the countess – I cannot think of a more alluring sociopath. To me, everything she does is hilarious in a disturbing way and I love the way Nadija responds to the absurdity with sarcasm and frustration. In my opinion, some of the funniest scenes were in Mariposa at the countess’s home.The book that made me cry the most was Vlkolak King. I had just finished the last chapter when my husband walked into the room because my editor needed to speak with me. Instantly, he thought something terrible happened because I was crying so hard – he was relieved to hear it was only because one of my characters died. I become so involved, so entangled in their lives that I mourn them when they pass as I would any friend I loved dearly. For days I was not myself because in a way, I missed this character and was so upset that she and I would never again spend time together - that she would never whisper to me anymore. It’s utterly tragic and strange.

Question 7:

Where do you like to write the most?

This is where I can lie and tell you I make a pot of tea and put on some old magick sweater but I’ll tell you the truth.  I always write in full make-up – I can’t have my character’s see me looking awful and I always write in bed. This is the sad and crazy truth – I swear. I’ve tried to write in my husband’s office, at the dining room table, and the kitchen table and it just doesn’t happen. I end up re-arranging the furniture, dusting the fireplaces, and picking up Barbie shoes, or half eaten candy. But, in my bed, I’m a writing wizard. It’s just nuts.

Question 8:

Tell us about the amazing covers, I am sure not everyone knows they are oil paintings done by your husband. (you wont find duplicates of models on other covers like we do so much now, lucky you)

 I am very fortunate to be married to a well-known traditional painter. My husband’s work is terribly romantic and captivating – I often marvel at how well he paints emotion - a slice of time that would otherwise, be forgotten. I remember the night we first met, he had just returned to the states from studying in Italy and I was instantly enamored with him. We spent the night talking about art and poetry and we both agree that we fell in love that night. To me, it was evident that he had something special - a talent for conveying deep emotion and narrative in one single expression. It was this beauty that made me fall so hard and fast – it was as if I finally found someone who understood all the passion inside me – it was amazing!What I do with words, he does with paint so the artistic marriage of our art forms only seemed natural. Plus, I can yell at him and complain until I get my way – this is extremely important! Honestly, after 16 years, we know each other so well that I just give him a few thoughts and he knows exactly what I want – it’s wonderful. I could never have my hard work covered by something that did not represent it properly – I am far too attached to my world and its representation.

Question 9:

I am a HUGE fan of the Gothic Memoir series, and wanted to ask, what is the inspiration behind the story?

The title and concept first came to me when I was 16. At that time, it was more of an autobiographical novel about my life growing up in a Slovak area and my grandmother’s fantastic tales. However, slowly, it began to change. By the time I was finishing college, I decided to change the concept of the series to a fictional novel with an autobiographical tone. In other words, I would put myself in the tales that I dreamt about and bridge the gap between reality and fantasy. I believe this is what is so different about my work from other paranormal fantasy because there is a deep level of believability – nothing is manufactured and I never follow a template or formula.  In my opinion, the work is organic and sincere because it reflects my life experiences, rather than distancing my readers by creating a wall of fantastic fiction. When writing, I chose to engage my fans on a personal level and do that easily and effortlessly through Nadija – she experiences life as a real person, not a work of fiction which is so appealing and refreshing to my audience. I meant for the series to read as a journal, a memoir that allows the reader to engage with Nadija on a very intimate level. You are privy to her thoughts, fears, and doubts enabling the reader to know her so personally; she becomes a close and cherished friend.

I believe when we are stripped naked of all our inhibitions, we are the most honest and beautiful. That is why I chose to write the series in first person. We never have to surmise or assume what Nadija is feeling because we are always inside her head – eager witnesses to her raw and uncensored emotions and thoughts.

·        

Question 10:

What are you working on now?

I am currently writing the 5^th book in the series titled, In the Shadows of Eden. This novel goes even deeper into the past as Nadija and Alexei are given their memories back by the Arch Angel Michael. The readers will get to know the main characters in a completely new and more intimate way – if that is even possible to fathom. And again, without spoiling it for future readers, this book really begins to turn the story around because now, we can understand the past, through Nadija and Alexei first hand.  In my opinion, this is the novel that will change and shape the series – it is truly beautiful and utterly romantic.

Question 11:

Rebekah, Thank you so much for stopping by Michelle’s Paranormal Vault of Books today to share your thoughts with us, and answer these questions. Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

Thank you for having me, Michelle.  Today is the last day of my $.99 special on Memoirs of a Gothic Soul on Kindle.  I hope everyone will take advantage of this offer to start the series!  Thank you for all of your support!

My Reviews for the previous books are as follows:

Memoirs of a Gothic Soul  My Review | Goodreads

Mariposa My Review | Goodreads

Lucifer RisingMy Review |  Goodreads

Find Rebekah at these places:

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

Website

Sources for Photos Henry Cavil Here, Chris Pine Here, and Jessica Here