It's Here: PARANORMAL KEEPERS COVER REVEAL!!

It seems I've had the idea of this cover in my head for so long that this is the most excited I've ever been about a reveal! Props to the magical Najla for coming up with a perfect representation of my vision, and a special shout out to the stunning Ashleigh Campbell for agreeing to be my model!

Release date: March 4, 2014

Model Photography: Jen Naumann

Cover Design: Najla Qamber Designs

Publisher: Phantom Owl Press

Link to book: Goodreads

Everyone thinks Harper Young killed her boyfriend. No one will say it to her face, but the signs are everywhere.

It’s almost been a year since Gavin was torn from Harper’s arms and brutally murdered. The police wrote it off as a freak accident, deciding Harper’s strange testimony was given under duress. But she knows something unnatural was involved and refuses to stop looking until she finds his killer, even if it means her reputation as a senior is ruined. Even if it means there really are monsters living among us.

With the discovery of the mothmen, witches, vampires and all the creatures she always suspected were out there, Harper finds herself amidst a complex bundle of unseen heroes who call themselves "Keepers", sworn to keep the secret of the paranormal creatures that walk this earth. As she tries to understand what’s so special about her that she’s able to break an old Keeper law, Harper has a baffling vision of kissing a mysterious guy before a blade is brought down on him. Before she can get a handle on her future, she becomes central to a battle between the questionable “heroes” and the evil she’s been training to fight, leaving her to wonder if there’s any way to change the fate that has been foretold before it’s too late.

PARANORMAL PALOOZA GIVEAWAY!

To celebrate the arrival of 2014 and thank all of you—my beautiful, fun, amazing followers—some of my favorite authors and I have donated digital copies of our (YA and NA) paranormal books to create a giveaway of eleven thrilling books you won't want to put down!

INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY:

ONE and TWO by LeighAnn Kopans: When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak. It makes you a One.

Sixteen-year-old Merrin Grey would love to be able to fly – too bad all she can do is hover. If she could just land an internship at the Biotech Hub, she might finally figure out how to fix herself. She busts her butt in AP Chem and salivates over the Hub’s research on the manifestation of superpowers, all in hopes of boosting her chances.

Then she meets Elias VanDyne, another One, and all her carefully crafted plans fly out the window. Literally. When the two of them touch, their Ones combine to make them fly, and when they’re not soaring over the Nebraska cornfields, they’re busy falling for each other.

Merrin's mad chemistry skills land her a spot on the Hub's internship short list, but as she gets closer to the life she always wanted, she discovers that the Hub’s purpose is more sinister than it has always seemed. Now it’s up to her to decide if it's more important to fly solo, or to save everything - and everyone - she loves.

 

INTO THE DEEP and HIDEN BENEATH by Lauryn April: Ivy Daniels is a high school junior still learning who she is. After almost drowning, Ivy finds herself with an ability she doesn’t want, an ability to uncover secrets which quickly begins to redefine what she thinks about the people around her as well as herself. Because of this ability, Ivy becomes the one thing that stands between an angry teen and the death of every student on campus. The only problem is she doesn’t know who wants everyone dead. Will she figure out whose secret is that they’re planning to blow up her school, or will she fail to find him in time? Through her search to do the right thing, Ivy discovers that knowing the thoughts and secrets of those around her may just tear her apart.

 

THE AWAKENING & OTHER STORIES and BENEATH MANHATTAN SKIES by Emma Meade: Put on the kettle, close the curtains and curl up by the fire. Dive into 8 short tales, each with a slice of the paranormal.

Ghost Story - Who is the shadow in the window of the abandoned house, and what or who is he waiting for?
The Awakening - It's time for Sabrina to wake up and face the light.
End of the Line - Cassie wants to die. When midnight rolls around, she stands on the tracks waiting for the train to come.
Milsa Loris - The once magnificent kingdom of Milsa Loris comes alive one night each winter. The King's witch is brewing up a little magic, sure to make the soup all the tastier.
The Old Vampire - Hailey spent her life dreaming of a dark prince falling in love with her. He never showed up, until now.
The Knocking - Alison's grandfather has one eye on the next life. After all, he's heard a lot of rapping at his door lately.
The Boy on the Beach - Kate's grandmother warns her about the boy with the green eyes. Will she pay heed?
Snowglobes- It's busy at Calvin's Cabins this Christmas. Eddie and Maggie are a young couple in trouble. Not to fear, Calvin is always ready to lend a hand.

 

THE DAY ZOMBIES RUINED MY PERFECTLY BORING LIFE and THE TIME ZOMBIES BECAME THE LEAST OF MY WORRIES by Jen Naumann: Emma Ferdig has heard the term “life sucks, then you die”, but she never knew she was supposed to take it quite so literally.

It’s senior year. Emma should be looking forward to escaping her mundane small town, and going on to college—finally. Her biggest worries should be the fact that she’s feeling something more for her life-long best friend Finn, and how she’s going to make things happen between them. But all her plans for a less-sucky future go out the window with the discovery of a seriously creepy woman in her backyard. As it turns out, zombies are real.

In the first book of the Boring Life Series, Emma’s life is turned upside down as she’s forced to leave everything behind, running off with Finn and a group of extremely odd misfits that include Finn’s jackhole brother Cash, and his unorthodox girlfriend Marley. In an instantaneous journey across the Midwest, they’ll learn horrifying secrets, trust the wrong people, and make deadly mistakes. As they do all then can to try and survive the impending apocalypse, Emma will realize that maybe her painfully boring life hadn’t been such a bad thing, after all.

 

HEART WAVES, BREAKING WAVES, and WAVES OF LOVE by Danielle Sibarium: Jenna Kingsley has a gift. She knows things. With a simple touch she can pick up personal information from jewelry or objects. While at a neighbor's party, a voice mesmerizes her. Jenna is momentarily frozen as a ring is placed in her hand. White electricity surges through her and a dire prediction is made. "It's like Romeo and Juliet. You're going to break my heart." From the moment they meet, Jenna is enchanted and entranced with Reece Walton. She's thrilled to learn he's spending the summer two houses away from hers. Every moment they spend together is magical. But she can't get the prediction out of her mind. As the summer draws to a close and secrets are revealed, can Jenna get past the fear of being left with a broken heart to live in the moment with Reece or will her fear of being hurt fulfill the prophecy?

 

The winner will be announced on this blog February 1st. Be sure to spread the word, and don't forget to come back each day of January to enter!

Good luck, and Happy New Year!

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Up Close With Emma Meade: BENEATH MANHATTAN SKIES

I've probably said it a thousand times in the past year, and I'll say it again: Emma Meade is awesome! Not only do the two of us have a wild amount of favorite movies and bands in common, but the Irish author renewed my love in vampires (the kind that bite, not sparkle) with her growing list of intriguing novellas, her latest release being my new favorite. Although this story follows up on the life of Erin Harris, a character from her earlier novella, Under the Desert Moon, I read Beneath Manhattan Skies first, and can tell you with confidence it could be considered a standalone. In celebration of her new release, Emma agreed to sit down to answer a few questions. Be sure to check out the stunning cover and synopsis below!

Beneath Manhattan Skies takes place in the city it's named after. Have you ever been to the United States? Do you have plans to visit anytime soon?

Yes, I spent some time in Delaware years ago with a lot of Irish people sharing a house. The days I strolled the boardwalk eating a hotdog and chilling on the beach still make me smile fondly. I've also been to New York and couldn't seem to take in the fact I was actually all the way across the Atlantic in the Big Apple. At the time I was only 21, so I'd like to go back now that I'm a tad more grown up :) and do some more exploration.

Have you put any thought into who you'd like to see play the Hollywood version of Erin, James and Tommy?

I loved Amber Tamblyn in Joan of Arcadia and pictured her as Erin at one stage. I think I answered this question last year for another blogger and I'm trying to remember who I picked for James and Nick. I'm not one hundred percent sure, but it could be Will Estes from Blue Bloods I chose for James. I'm drawing a blank for Nick. I just picture him as a really sweet, wholesome looking, handsome dude.

Will there be another book on the life of Erin Harris?

I'd like to do a short novella that wraps up Erin's story with James. I'm thinking I'd have to go five or six years into the future. If enough readers are curious, I'll get on it.

You're obviously a big fan of vampires. Are there other paranormal creatures you're into as well?

I write a lot about vampires, but if I had to be a supernatural creature, I'd choose to be a witch. A life filled with spells, potions, conjuring and magic would be right up my alley.

Have you ever written outside of the supernatural genre? Do you have any desire to?

I tried writing a contemporary romance years ago at college after a breakup. My sister printed out the few chapters I wrote and passed them around the office she worked in, and though the response was favourable, my heart wasn't in it. No witches or ghosts or a sexy vampire? Nope, I couldn't finish.

Favorite vampire movie?
The Lost Boys would be near the top.

Favorite vampire of all time?
Probably Spike.

November in New York is cold but full of possibility for college freshman Erin Harris. 

When her twin brother, Nick, shows up on her doorstep for a surprise visit, Erin is delighted. Unfortunately, Nick’s arrival coincides with the discovery of a body outside her apartment 

building, a body drained of blood. Right away, Nick assumes vampires are involved. He’s not exactly their biggest fan since Erin dated one in high school. 

Juggling nosy roommates, a first date with a gorgeous guy from college and a 

brother on a  Van Helsing kick is enough to keep any nineteen year old girl

busy – And then Erin’s old flame walks back into her life.

Is Erin destined to be caught up in supernatural shenanigans,

or will she choose a different path?

WHERE TO BUY BENEATH MANHATTAN SKIES:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iTunes

WAYS TO FOLLOW EMMA:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Book Review: The Hallowed Ones

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning.

This was another book recommended by Literary Agent Bree Ogden. I wasn't sure about it at first, and put it off thinking I would connect with Katie, a girl from an Amish community. But I found it interesting to read about this world I really knew nothing about, and how differently she handled things based on her religious beliefs. The story starts just as Katie is preparing for her Rumspringa—a time when the Amish are allowed to visit the "outside world" before they become baptized into their faith and cannot do anything to disobey their community's laws. She's looking forward to this experience with her friend/sometimes-boyfriend Elijah, until they realize there's something very wrong going on in the outside world.

At times I really wanted to strangle Katie for her naivety, but she ended up redeeming herself later on. She's got the biggest heart of anyone in her community, and feels compelled to do what's right, whether or not the Elders in charge approve. It was so interesting to hear about the Amish way—every detail of their community was told so well it's as if the author had actually lived there. There was just the right mix of horror embedded into the story, and these "vampires" are just my type ("holy crap, run for your lives" rather than "sparkling and sexy"). I was completely blown away by just how much I enjoyed the story, considering I was prepared to be bored by the religious aspects before I even picked it up. But Laura Bickle does a wonderful job of holding your interest, making it another hard one to put it down.

This book earns 5 zombies! I was actually glad I put it off so long as the sequel was released a mere week after I finished. Stay tuned for my review on her second book (spoiler alert: it was just as awesome).

Laura Bickle has worked in the unholy trinity of politics, criminology, and technology for several years. She and her chief muse live in the Midwest, owned by four mostly-reformed feral cats.

Her work has been published in Midnight Times, Down in the Cellar, MicroHorror, Theaker's Quarterly Fiction, Ballista, Byzarium, New Myths, a Blog-O-Novella office soap opera for True Office Confessions, and Aoife's Kiss. Her most recent project is the Embers series of urban fantasy novels for Juno-Pocket Books.

Movie Review: The Mortal Instruments

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've been looking forward to this film coming out since at least last December, and finally got a chance to see it last night.

When I pick apart all the different aspects of the movie, it had everything going awesomely well for it—great acting, great cinematography, great special effects. There were so many scenes that were amazing as well as action-packed. I loved the creepiness of the demons (the witch and dog especially), loved Lily Collins as Clary (such a gorgeous girl and great actress), loved Simon (lovable guy), loved the City of Bones and the wicked scary guys there, loved the demons forming from ravens, loved the look and feel of the institute building. Wasn't as fond of Jace (although I really wanted to be), Alec (came across as blah), Magnus (acting felt stiff), Hodge (but maybe it was just the character) or Valentine (the dreads felt too cartoonish). I especially disliked the obnoxious tattoos on everyone as they were too bold and fake looking (and I have a lot of tattoos, so I'm not prejudice in any fashion). The major "ick factor" at the end was definitely my least favorite part.

I can't really comment on the book versus the movie as the furthest I ever got with the book was the scene in which the vampires fight the werewolves. The book really couldn't hold my interest, no matter how many times I gave it a chance (and I believe I tried at least three times).

The verdict? It was "good". Not great or spectacular, as I so desperately wanted it to be. The whole reason Valentine wanted the cup was a bit confusing, especially to my poor friend who had no knowledge of the story before I dragged her along to see this. She was laughing out loud at parts that weren't meant to be comedic. I often know how good a movie is by deciding if I want to own it for my personal collection, and this one I will likely pass on. I think it all comes down to the underlying story still not able to hold my interest. I know some of my fans and friends are really into this series, and I really can't blame you, but it just didn't excite me the way I was hoping.

The Culture of Vampires

In my lifetime, I've seen vampires portrayed in many different lights—sexy, terrifying, humorous, and even...well...sparkly and often brooding. I've shamefully admitted that I fell for the whole Twilight thing, but in my defense it was the hopeless love story that pulled me in (I'm a sucker for those). The movies do bother me as I find them a bit campy, and not at all the way I like my vampires (think hissing on the baseball field in the first movie).

Because of Twilight and its sickening over-exposure/bad wrap, I haven't touched the vampire genre as an author. I have friends who have, however, and do extremely well despite the bad reputation that seems to have tarnished vamps as a species (check out Emma Meade and L. H. Cosway).

But there are some who make an appearance in my newest novel, Paranormal Keepers. Only mine won't be the kind you would fall in love with. My reasoning behind this is the slew of vampire movies I adore, all in which vampires are not of the romantic and sparkling variety. And that's just how I like them.

In the spirit of vampire awesomeness that does NOT include Twilight, I'm counting down my top ten favorite blood sucking movies:

#10 - Blade II

Okay, I'll admit, this one only made the list because Norman Reedus was in it. So sue me. Still, the vampires and special effects were pretty decent.

#9 - Van Helsing

I only saw this one once, but think they portrayed vampires with proper respect. Plus it's fun to watch Kate Beckinsale kick some ass.

#8 - Daybreakers

Creepy vampires combined with a rather original premise—in the future nearly everyone has turned into a vampire no thanks to some strange disease—made this a pretty good film. Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe are always entertaining to watch.

#7 - Bram Stoker's Dracula

This one was borderline campy, but I still enjoyed Winona Ryder and Gary Oldman's characters. The vampires were only mildly scary, though there were some oddly disturbing scenes.

#6 - I Am Legend

I have a love-hate relationship with this movie. Although Will Smith did a good job of pulling off most of what could be considered a one-man show, the ending was another one to leave me extremely frustrated. I did enjoy the crazy, methed-up vampires, although I didn't know what exactly he was dealing with until after I saw the movie and read reviews.

#5 - Let the Right One In

This story, although sick and pretty twisted, was also one of my favorite books. The movie wasn't quite as good (they almost never are), but still managed to keep the main points of the tale that made it so intriguing. And the vampire in this story was definitely creepy!

#4 - 30 Days of Night

This was one of those horror movies that really freaked the crap out of me, and made me hide under a blanket, but was so crazy good I couldn't stop watching. THIS is how vampires really should be—so damn creepy you wouldn't even CONSIDER even making out with one. I wasn't very happy with the ending, however, as it was one of the first to start the trend of really unhappy endings that leaves you unsatisfied.

#3 - Interview With a Vampire

I'm a sucker for pretty much anything involving Brad Pitt, but this movie was more than just a couple of pretty boys walking around in bad makeup. Though the vampires weren't really that terrifying, the story of little Kirsten Dunst's character and Brad Pitt's character's (non-creepy) love for her made the film. I've read many times that Brad was not proud of this film, and almost quit because it was so depressing to film, but it still remains one of my all-time favorites.

#2 - Lost Boys

I was in junior high when this came out, and actually fell in love because of Corey Haim, who was so dang cute in it. But the older I became, the more I loved the movie just for it's awesomeness (and Jason Patric, too). There's a bit of humor involved, but most of its just glamorous (for the '80s anyway), and fun.

#1 - Fright Night

This remake just came out in 2011, and I was hooked from the very first time I saw it. I'm a sucker for anything that can tastefully pull off both humor and horror in the same story, and this movie does it well. The vampire was hot, but disturbingly creepy (especially in the road scene), and I became a big fan of Anton Yelchin's acting. It still, however, remains the only movie in which I liked Collin Farrell. But it was so awesome that it beat out my reigning champion (Lost Boys) of over 20 years.

Researching Paranormal Creatures

My favorite part in writing paranormal has always been doing the occasional research, since the subject is something I really get into. It's also a great excuse to re-watch some of my favorite television shows and movies to get the idea generator cooking, even though I always try to break away from "traditional" beliefs on anything paranormal.

In my newest book, Paranormal Keepers, my main character has been obsessed with paranormal creatures her whole life, and swears they're real, even though she doesn't have any proof. In preparation, I've been studying legendary creatures and witchcraft on the internet as well as buying "non-fiction" books. I was surprised to discover that I hadn't heard of some of these monsters before. To give you an idea, here's a list from wikipedia:

Adlay
Basilisk, Banshee, Boggart, Balaur, Biscione
Chimera, Centaur, Cyclops, Cockatrice, Cambion, Chokoy
Demon, Dhampir, Doppelgänger, Dragon, Drider, Dryad, Dwarf, Dybbuk, Demigod
Elf, Elve, Ent, Espon
Fairy, Faun, Feilong
Giant, Ghost, Ghoul, Genie, Goblin, God, Gorgon, Gryphon, Gremlin, Gnome, Grindylow, Golem
Harpy, Hydra, Hippogriff, Hobbit, Hinkypunk
Imp, Incubus
Jinn
Kraken, Kappa, Kitsune, Kumiho, Kobaloi
Leprechaun, Lycan, Lindworm
Mermaid, Merman, Manticore, Minotaur, Morrovol, Mummy, Moroi
Nymph, Nephilim
Orc, Ogre, Opinicus, Onocentaur
Phoenix, Pixie, Pukwudgie, Pixiu
Sylph, Siren, Shape-shifter, Succubus, Satyr, Salamander, Seraph, Shade, Strigoi, Shinigami
Troll, Taraxipi, Telekhine, Tikbalang, Tengu
Unicorn, Upir, Undine
Vampire, Vetala, Volkodlak, Vircolac
Werewolf, Werecat, Werepanther, Wendigo, Wraith, Wyvern, Wemic, witch, wiccan
Yeti, Yūrei, Yali
Zilant, Zombie

Although the Mothman didn't make this list, he makes an appearance in my new story. And Mothman Prophecies is one of my favorite movies, so I'm excited that I have a reason to watch it again.

Most of my creatures will have a different spin on the legends, mostly because I like to be different, and since we don't have solid proof of these things we don't really know what they actually look like or what they can do. But I swear to you, none of my creatures will be all cuddly, and none of them will sparkle.

What are some of your favorite paranormal movies involving some of these creatures?

Zombie Discrimination

I FINALLY GOT TO SEE WORLD WAR Z!

I don't think I've been this excited about a movie release in years. I'm not even sure what I could compare it to. Zombies + Brad Pitt = are you freaking kidding me? Thankfully, the movie delivered just what it promised, and was amazing.

I just want to take a minute to address the zombie discrimination I've been witnessing. Many of the die-hard zombie fans have been against this movie from the start, as they say zombies are "supposed to be" painfully slow moving. While I consider myself a ginormous fan of all undead things animated, I was very open to the idea of them being raging fast. Anyone who has read The Day Zombies Ruined My Perfectly Boring Life knows I'm not a purist. We've been given these amazing minds that are capable of creating different things. Why not use them?

Then again, I've always been a fan of non-traditional ideas when dealing with fantasy—zombies who can actually heal themselves with love, angels who don't have wings and can just move really fast, vampires who can walk in the daylight with a special ring, vampires who sparkle in the sunlight—okay wait, that one was taking it a bit too far even for me. But I think if we're dealing with creatures that don't actually exist, it's okay to go beyond the usual stereotypes. Plus the idea of zombies coming at you in a dead run makes the idea all the more frightening.

I'm not going to delve into the scientific reasons on why I think this could actually happen as (a) I find science painfully boring, and (b) science and I really don't get along so I couldn't do it even if I tried, but check out this article on Cracked.com to see why they think raging zombies are possible.

The only issue I had with the crazy-fast zombies in World War Z was the crazy-fast camera work that went along with them. While I get that the idea is to get you right in there so you're able to physically experience the anxiety of having a deadly human in your face, there were times I couldn't see anything. At all. And I think that's when the cinematic experience goes too far (think Cloverfield). Maybe one or two of these scenes would've done the trick without losing site of the leading man, and requiring a heaping dose of Dramamine.

Don't get me wrong—I'm not arguing that my side is right, and the purist are wrong. As I've said many times before, I'm glad there are people with different preferences, and think this world would be an extremely boring place if we were all the same. Bottom line, World War Z was extremely satisfying for this non-traditional, walking corpse fan.  Check out my full review of the movie on Two Chicks Blogging.

Writer Wednesday: Emma Meade

I met the lovely and talented Emma Meade through Twitter quite some time back. Although separated by a very large pond, we discovered a mutual passion for anything paranormal/supernatural and I quickly became hooked on Emma's books. While busy preparing to release a sequel to her first vampire novel, Under the Desert Moon, she was kind enough to take a minute to answer a few questions. Because that's how awesome she is.

1. Your new release End of the Line was originally a short story that appeared in The Awakening & Other Stories (a collection of short stories). Are there any others that you think you may possibly turn into a full length novel at some point?

End of the Line is probably my favourite of the whole lot, though The Knocking is a close second. That one is about my Grandad and still gets me when I read it. I'd like to go back to Cassie's story (End of the Line) and see if I can figure out where she went from there. One day - hopefully I'll get back to her. I have so many stories, novels and half completed novels lying around the place, I want to get to them in 2013 and see what I can publish from that lot first.

2. Who or what inspires you as an author?

I get my inspiration from other books, TV shows, films and music - music plays a key role. I love to create imaginary worlds. Some of my characters feel like real people to me.

3. What are some of your favorite books?

I know a lot of people will roll their eyes, but I adore the Twilight books, especially the first one. I found Twilight quite randomly back in 2008. I'd been browsing YouTube looking up fan videos for various TV shows (as far as I can remember) and I stumbled upon a fan video based on the first book. I was so intrigued, I went Googling and hopped it to the nearest bookshop to buy Twilight. I fell in love instantly with Forks and the love story. It took me completely in and will probably always be among my favourite books.

Others I love include Dark Angel and Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews, The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith, The Stand by Stephen King, anything written by Marian Keyes, and the Tegan's Blood books by L.H. Cosway. (The latter are both amazing Irish authors).

4. From what you've seen, is the publishing world in Ireland different from the United States?

I don't think it's very different. It's obviously on a much smaller scale over here. Some publishers in Ireland will still accept unsolicited manuscripts, but for the most part it's still better to have a literary agent if you're going the traditional route.

5. How many books have you written at this point in your career and what are you working on now?

Hmm, I need to think about this. I guess one novel published and a couple of short story collections. But I also have half a dozen finished and unfinished novels that have yet to be edited and prepared for publishing. I am trying to get into those later this year. Fingers crossed they can be polished enough to see the light of day.

6. If one of your books could be made into a movie, which one would you like to see it happen to and why?

I'd love to see Under the Desert Moon made into a film. I fell in love with the Arizona setting when I wrote it and the characters feel like a part of me. :)

7. What do you like to do in your "down" time?

I don't get much of that - but I guess I like to catch up on my favourite shows like The Walking Dead and The Vampire Diaries. Chilling out with a few friends on a Friday evening and catching up over wine and nibbles is always a good way of winding down. Then I have my two little nieces who don't know the meaning of giving Auntie Emma 'down time'.

8. What are some of your favorite movies and television shows?

Buffy is still my all time favourite TV show, closely followed by Roswell, Friends, The X-Files, The Vampire Diaries and Dark Angel. Movies would have to include Reality Bites, The Last of the Mohicans, The Lost Boys, The Goonies, Stand By Me, Dirty Dancing and Twilight.

9. Are you the type of author that listens to music while you write? If so, what type of music or what songs?

I have to have a quiet space to write usually but I definitely use music to inspire me to write. If I'm stuck or just not feeling it I just put on my iPod and go to the appropriate playlist. That gets the creative juices flowing. The stories about Alex and Tristan from the Night Sighs collection are all down to Bruce Springsteen. Without him, those characters wouldn't be alive.

10. If you could be a character in any book, who would you choose and why?

Jenny from The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith. She has a darkly gorgeous Shadow Man in love with her willing to give her the world, in fact all nine of them.

11. If the zombie apocalypse were to happen, who would you choose (real or fictional) for your survival team?

My Dad, Buffy, Willow, Rick and Daryl (The Walking Dead), Max and Alec (Dark Angel) and the aliens from Roswell. :)

To win a digital copy of Emma's collection of short stories, The Awakening & Other Stories, enter Rafflecopter giveaway below!

Ways to follow Emma: Twitter, Goodreads, her website

Where to find her book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble 

Emma Meade lives in Ireland and loves vampires, slayers, witches, ghosts, aliens & shadow men (or at least the youngest of the Shadow Men), and regular people who live extraordinary lives (think Slayerettes and you’re on the right track). Writing supernatural short stories, watching marathon re-runs of Buffy and attempting to complete novels are some of her favourite ways of escaping reality.

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