Thursday, July 11, 2013

Author, author... Jody A. Kessler and Death Lies Between Us

...read all about it !!




Welcome Jody, so great to have you here with us.  Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Writing has become my total and complete obsession, but definitely in a good way. When I’m not writing (or marketing) I am usually taking care of my family and home. On the rare occasion that I have a few spare minutes to myself, I love to go hiking or read a great book.




Do real life events find their way into your stories?

In some ways the answer is yes, but I usually mix things up quite a bit from actual events. For instance, who hasn’t partied as a teenager or gone to concerts? Most of us have at some point in our lives. In Death Lies Between Us, both of these events occur, but I place the scene in a haunted castle. As for the ghost hunting and practicing herbal medicine, yes, I do some of that too.




Do you ever mimic family members or people you know when you choose characters?

Many of my characters are a mixture of different people. I like to take a personality trait from one person and add it to something that really stands out from another person. Sometimes my characters find me and only exist in my imagination.




Do you find yourself going back to the same inspiration for each story or is it always something different?

My inspiration comes from anywhere or anything at any random moment. I’m always amazed at how my brain comes up with new ideas.




When do you write?  Early morning? During the day sometime or all day?  After the kids go to bed?

Any spare moment that I can find, which is mostly after my kid goes to bed. I feel sleep deprived often but I still prefer to write at night rather than in the morning.




How do you feel about marketing your book?

Wow!... is the best way to describe my feelings about marketing. It is a massive job that I wasn’t really expecting. Since the release of Death Lies Between Us, I have spent twice as much time marketing than writing.




What social sites do you feel work best for marketing?

I’m not an expert, but I think it is important for anyone to find social sites that you actually enjoy being on, and then do your best with them. Figure out how to maximize your efforts and gain the largest reach, but try to have some fun too. I personally prefer Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.




Do you like to pitch stories to your publisher or do you wait until you have written the story and have a final manuscript to turn in?

I definitely need to have the manuscript finished first. My writing time is sporadic at best. I couldn’t commit to a completion date.




Is there any other genre that you would love to try writing?  If so, what is it?

I have always been fascinated with history. I would really like to try writing historical fiction, maybe with some time travel mixed in.




Do you always/ever see yourself as the heroine/hero when you write a story?

I don’t. I know my characters have elements of me in them but for the most part, they are totally unique individuals.




Just for fun, I have a few personal questions, 

Favorite 5

1)      Favorite Male ActorI Adore Christian Bale, Colin Farrell, and Jackie Chan
2)      Favorite vehicleAudi R8 in Black – I lust after this car!
3)      Favorite way to relax Soaking in some hot springs
4)      Favorite ice creamVanilla raspberry swirl
5)      Favorite outfitI like wearing layers, like in the winter, with a super cute coat, and some awesome boots.



And for a bonus:  If you could pick any place in the world to live, besides where you are now, where would it be?  (Of course, without the hindrance of jobs or money needed)

I would love to travel around Europe and see as much of it as I could before narrowing down just one place. A tour of France, Italy, and Slovenia would be at the top of my list.




Where can our readers find you??  

Facebook:  Facebook
Website/blog:  www.jodyakessler.com
Amazon author page: Jody A Kessler  
Goodreads: Goodreads




Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?

Thank you for sharing my new release, Death Lies Between Us. It is the first book in the series, An Angel Falls.  Book two, Angel Dreams will be out in early 2014. Thank you very much for having me on your blog.


Blurb:

Saving the life of someone you love should not be the worst thing you have ever done, unless you are an Angel of Death.

Disgruntled with his position in the afterlife and conflicted by his feelings toward his new client, Nathaniel Evans forgoes the rules and saves nineteen year old Juliana Crowson from being hopelessly stuck in Forge Creek. This alters Juliana’s destiny and she finds herself in a series of near death accidents.

In the mountains of Colorado, Nathaniel comforts Juliana as she struggles to understand her paranormal abilities while coping with her brother’s drug addiction. When an ill-tempered Native American Shaman teaches her the difference between ghosts and place memories, she decides she wants nothing to do with the supernatural world. Too bad she doesn’t know that Nathaniel is part of it. 

Will fate bring these two together, or has Nathaniel made the biggest mistake of his afterlife?


Excerpt:

He turns to stand in front of me, silent as a shadow. His hand lifts out of the dark. His fingertips brush the underside of my chin gently tipping my face up to his. How does he move and make no sound?  His fingers move to my temple, brushing away a hair then trailing down to the edge of my jaw where they halt. He watches my face and looks into my eyes. I feel a surge of loneliness from somewhere deep inside him. I don’t understand it or have time to dwell on it but it makes me want to hold onto him. His gaze lowers to my mouth.

He’s so close. I didn’t see it before, but he glows. The slightest iridescent shimmer encapsulates him, so totally different than the way Chris’s aura looked. He smells good too, like I remembered, and more. It’s so familiar, but I can’t say where from. The ozone smell of clean air after a storm and hints of cinnamon and honey swirled in cream. It’s intoxicating. Even the feel of him standing near me is like a caress passing over my skin. I can’t believe myself. I’m going to let this vague stranger kiss me, and I want him to.



Buy a copy on:   Amazon   Barnes and Noble




One last thing before we let you leave us today :)   Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share?  I like to cook and am always looking for new recipes to try and share.


I love to cook too! Here is a recipe that is light, refreshing, and packed full of flavor. It is really great for summer cookouts or dinner parties as an appetizer. There are many variations on this recipe. This is the way me and my family like it.


Shrimp Ceviche Dip
  • 1 pound cooked cocktail shrimp, chopped
  • 1/2 medium cucumber, chopped
  • 1 medium to large tomato, chopped
  • 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into small dice
  • 4 medium scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (1-2 limes)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Tortilla chips
Gently mix all the ingredients in a bowl, except the tortilla chips. Chill in the fridge for about an hour. Eat with your favorite chips.

*****

Oh lord that sounds heavenly !!  Thanks so much for sharing that Jody !

It was a pleasure having you today and please come back anytime !

Until next time, happy reading !!

Krista


2 comments:

  1. Hi Krista! Thanks for hosting me today. It was a really fun interview.

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    Replies
    1. It was my pleasure Jody !! Please come back any time :)

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