Sunday 23 March 2014

BOOK PROMOTION - THE LIGHT WHO SHINES - BLUEBELL KILDARE BY LILO ABERNATHY

Title: The Light Who Shines
Series: Bluebell Kildare
Author: Lilo Abernathy

BLURB from Goodreads
When Paranormal Investigation Bureau agent Bluebell Kildare (a.k.a. Blue) arrives at the scene of the crime it's obvious the grotesquely damaged body of the deceased teenage boy was caused by far more than a simple hit and run. Using her innate sixth sense, she uncovers a powerful magical artifact nearby. She soon discovers it acts as a key to an ancient Grimiore that was instrumental in the creation of the Vampire breed and still holds the power to unravel the boundaries between Earth and the Plan of Fire.

Blue and her clever wolf Varg follow a trail that starts at the Cock and Bull Tap and leads all through the town of Crimson Hollow. Between being sidelined by a stalker who sticks to the shadows, and chasing a suspect who vanishes in thin air, the case is getting complicated. If that isn't enough, Dark Vampire activity hits a record high and hate crimes are increasing. However, it's her growing feelings for Jack Tanner, her magnetic Daylight Vampire boss, that just might undo her.

While Blue searches for clues to nail the perpetrator, it seems someone else is conducting a search of their own. Who will find whom first?

Danger lurks in every corner and Blue needs all her focus in this increasingly dangerous game or she risks ending up the next victim

AUTHOR INTERVIEW


What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
My pen name is Lilo Abernathy. My real name is a secret!
I was born in Elgin, the town were the famous Elgin watches were made. It is a suburb of Chicago, IL, USA. A year and a half ago, I completely uprooted and now live in the gorgeous Smoky Mountains, in Candler, just outside of Asheville, NC, USA. I love the mountains and expect to live here the rest of my life here. We had some nice “smoke” on the mountains today. I am lucky enough to view it right through my living room window, even as I type.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?
The name of my latest book is The Light Who Shines.

I’m up to your 20-word challenge, so let’s give this a shot:

Paranormal detective Blue risks everything to save the world from evil, while falling in love with the devastating Jack Tanner.

Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
Yes! The Light Who Shines is my debut novel and book one in the Bluebell Kildare series. This Series will have another 2 - 3 books.
I already have ideas for other books stirring in my mind.

If you had to choose to be one of your characters in your book, which would you be, and why?
I would be Blue in my youth and Maud in my older years.
I love Blue’s sense of honor and her internal strength. She is innocent and new to many things, but she has had a rough life so she is wise in her decisions. When faced with adversity she has a spine of steal.
Maud is just fantastic. I love the crazy colors she dyes her hair and her old-fashioned strong but feminine attitude. She has her neighbor, Harry, wrapped around her little finger. She is not your typical mother/grandmotherly figure.
Anyone would love to have either one of these women as their friends.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
I wrote the outline of the book and the scene sketch before I came up with the title. At the very end I decided to change the title from “Illustrissima - The Light Who Shines” to simply “The Light Who Shines”. I was afraid people wouldn’t be able to remember the name and find it on the web. Now that I’ve changed it, I really like it in the simpler form.
Tentatively, the titles for the next two books will be “The Light Who Binds” and The Light Who Rips Asunder

Do you decide on character traits (i.e. shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
Before I wrote the outline and the scene sketch, I created the main characters and defined their personality. Bluebell Kildare (a.k.a. Blue) is the most important character and was thoroughly defined by both her history and her expected growth throughout the story. The villain was also clearly defined.
During the review process both I and my editor checked to be sure the characters had some growth through the story.

Have you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?
Luckily I did not experience writers block. I actually asked about this on a Goodreads forum. It seems that writers who outline and scene sketch get writer's block less often than writers who just let the story flow.

What do you do to unwind and relax? Do you have a hobby?
Sometimes I have to stop writing and spend time reading. I find that it is important to keep reading other author’s work so I can learn from them, both the positives and the negatives. I’ve never read a book and come away without learning something.
I love American Idol. So, you know what I’m doing on American Idol night.

Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this story is...")
Absolutely! The main theme of this book is prejudice. I interwove it into the fabric of the story in a way that I believe is completely painless and in fact enjoyable.
In my story, the regular prejudices that exist in our world are absent. However, I have flipped the lens to prejudice between the three different breed of humans: Norms (normal humans), the Gifted (humans with magical gifts), and Vampires (both Light and Dark). The society is rampant with prejudice and it is in fact the main societal conflict. The main characters have to deal with it on both a personal and professional level.
The main moral is, it is really terrible to be prejudiced against others and it causes tremendous pain and unnecessary strife. Though I am guessing that anyone who enjoys reading about vampires and magical wolves are open-minded to begin with.

Which format of book do you prefer, ebook, hardback, or paperback?
I enjoy hardback or paperback for the glorious joy of holding a book in my hand. However, I love trees, and I love to keep my reading budget in line, so for those reasons I often purchase ebooks. Typically I don’t purchase a print copy unless it is a reference book or a book I know I will keep a long time.

Did you read a lot at school and write lots of stories or is being a writer something newer in your life?
I have been a bookworm since an early age. I remember asking my brothers and sister to teach me to read before I hit first grade. When they did, I quickly went through our huge Dr. Seuss collection. I read Paddington Bear, Little House on the Prairie, Encyclopedia Brown (LOVE!), and Nancy Drew. Then I went on to Harlequin Romance, and read through an entire wall of books at my parents, including gothic romances and religious texts. I read every Rosemary Rodgers and Kathleen Woodiwiss romance. The books I’ve read probably number over 10,000 easily.
I always knew I would write, but I waited until after my daughter was an adult to do so. I work a full time day job so writing on top of that keeps me pretty occupied.

Do you have a treasured book from your childhood? If yes, what is it?
I read “The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand at age 14. I really loved it, but after rereading it a couple of times as an adult, I understand it so much more now. Though I don’t agree with Ayn Rand’s philosophy, she is one of my favorite authors due to her ability to open eyes and show people things they might not otherwise see. I tried to bring some of that into my story.

Do you have a favorite genre of book?
My favorite genre is Urban Fantasy, so it is no surprise that the first book I wrote is Urban Fantasy. It seems the natural starting point.

What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
Advice number 1: Just do it.
Advice number 2: Revise it and revise it.
Advice number 3: Read it OUT LOUD!!! (You catch so much this way.)
Advice number 4: After all that, send it to an editor.

Your Website? 
https://sites.google.com/site/lilojabernathy/
Your Facebook Page? 
https://www.facebook.com/lilojabernathy
Your Goodreads Author Page? https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7789942.Lilo_Abernathy
Your Twitter Details? 
@Lilo_Abernathy

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