Welcome Skye and thanks for dropping by.
I wish you only the best of successes with the up-coming release of Fractured Legacy. I must say, the cover really tells its own story. It looks and feels really creepy!
Carolyn
(Darkness Bound #1)
Publication date: October 22nd, 2013
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Synopsis:
Kaylyn
Anderson's fascination with abandoned places and dark creatures kindled
her work as a paranormal investigator. But when dreams begin to distort
reality, she questions what is real and pulls away from everyone she
trusts. The opportunity to investigate the Teague Hotel--a
long-abandoned landmark that has always piqued her curiosity--provides a
chance to redeem herself. Unraveling the hotel's secrets won't be easy,
but Kaylyn soon finds herself the target of a dark entity that has been
trapped in the building for decades.
If
Kaylyn stands any hope of defeating the spirit, she'll have to accept
that her fears are real and convince fellow investigators that she
hasn't lost her mind.
Building Paranormal Ideas from Legends
Skye Callahan
Paranormal stories rely on the author's
ability to create a world that encourages the reader's suspension of belief.
I don’t do a lot of plotting, but making
sure your characters paranormal abilities (and inabilities) are clear and
consistent requires some planning. You don't want to get halfway through the
book and have to explain how/why a character suddenly gains a new ability or
inability (unless of course you have a good reason to do so). That's like
knowing that the character has a cell phone in his/her pocket, but when they
are locked in a room, they can't figure out how to call out for help. Likewise,
a vampire who can suddenly "glamour" a victim two-thirds of the way
through the book when he's never had/used/mentioned that ability is equally
problematic.
When I need inspiration for paranormal or
supernatural characters, I look for old myths and legends to see where the
creatures originated. Creating a basis for supernatural occurrences within
historical beliefs creates credibility with the reader. There is a reason
certain stories survive, and a reason why certain supernatural elements -
ghosts, vampires, werewolves - are so widespread. And understanding when and
why legends originated may give you hints into how you can adapt the legend for
your own purposes.
The paranormal entities in Fractured Legacy aren’t derived from one
particular legend. But there were some old myths that influenced the decisions
I made while writing. For example, there are a number of legends that reference
the vengeful spirit of a mother who lost her child. In Japanese folklore, the
Mu-onna has been known to protect children, but she may also try to merge with
them—to do so she must put the child’s soul to sleep. You’ll have to read Fractured Legacy to see what aspects of
the legend made it into the story.
Don't just set out to be original or do
something different—give your mind a few pieces of kindling and let it do the
rest as it tries to make sense of the legends and stories. The originality will
follow as your imagination fills in the gaps.
AUTHOR BIO:
Skye Callahan was born and raised in Ohio
and has seen enough unbelievable stuff to feed a lifetime of paranormal
stories. When not writing or working at the dayjob she hangs out with
her ethnomusicologist husband and pet ferrets, reads, and takes long
walks through the cemetery.
3 comments:
Story always comes first. If that's no good then the reader is gone. Love how creepy the cover is and no planning can fix a bad book, so a good book with enough planning is most important. Congrats Skye.
This sounds extremely interesting! Thanks for sharing.
www.modernworld4.blogspot.com
Thanks so much for sharing!
~Skye
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