INTERVIEW and GIVEAWAY
The Appeal of Evil:
The Road to Salvation Book 1
The Road to Salvation Book 1
by Pembroke Sinclair
The Appeal of Evil is currently on tour with Bewitching Book Tours. The tour stops here today for my interview with the author and a giveaway. You can also read my review. Please visit all of the other tour stops as well.
Description
Katie wants to invest her heart and soul in love, but she may lose both to Hell.
Katie, a senior in high school, is torn between loving the “good” guy, her childhood friend Wes who makes promises he doesn't keep and abandons her when she needs him the most, and the “bad” guy, the new kid at school Josh who is also a real demon from Hell.
Katie wants someone who pays attention to her and puts her first, but what is she willing to give up to find him?
Excerpt
“You used to have a crush on me, ya know.”
Katie stopped dribbling the tennis ball on the court and focused on the speaker. Wes stood in front of her and to the left. He crouched, his forearms resting on his knees, his tennis racket twirling in his hand. When he glanced over his shoulder at her, a sly smile covered his lips. She remembered when his hair was blonde, but recently he had dyed it black and cut it into a short spike. It made his skin look paler than normal; his thin lips looked redder. The corners of his brown eyes wrinkled as his smile widened.
She set her jaw. There were so many things she could say to him, the first and foremost that he was an idiot, but she pressed her lips into a line. Why would he bring that up at that particular moment? What did it matter? With a shake of her head, she faced forward and threw the ball in the air. Pretending it was Wes’s head, she smashed her racket into it with all her might. It sailed over the net, and her opponent moved to the right to intercept it. A forehand shot sent it back toward Katie and Wes. It was beyond her court realm, so she let Wes get it. Inwardly, she kind of hoped it would hit him in the mouth, maybe swell up his lips so he couldn’t speak. It didn’t. He was ready and backhanded it over the net. The two teams volleyed a few more times, then the girl on the opposite side hit the ball a little too hard, knocking it out of bounds.
“Yeah!” Wes pumped his fist in the air, then approached Katie for a high five.
Reluctantly, she gave him one. The other team readied to serve, but the bell rang. Thank goodness, Katie thought. After leaving the tennis courts, she followed the rest of her class into their respective locker rooms.
Not being one to dilly-dally in the locker room and catch up on the latest gossip, it didn’t take Katie long to shower and change. Being naked around other girls made her nervous. She was more developed than they were, and the way they stared and huffed at her, like she could control nature, made her uncomfortable. The sooner she could cover up her body, the happier she was. She stopped at the bathroom mirror to quickly run a comb through her hair. With her dark brown hair wet, it looked black. It touched her shoulders, so it didn’t take long to get the comb through. She made sure the part in the middle was straight. Her hazel eyes caught the fluorescent lights and glittered for a moment. She leaned closer to the mirror and applied chapstick to her pouty lips. Tucking her hair behind her ears, she turned and headed out of the locker room.
As she stepped out the door and headed for the gym, someone grabbed her wrist from behind. The touch was familiar, and, if she was honest with herself, expected. Especially after what happened on the courts, an apology was in order. The action didn’t surprise her, and she didn’t cry out. Instead, she allowed herself to be pulled toward the storage area near the girl’s locker room that held the gymnastic mats. Her wrist was released and she turned to face him, crossing her arms over her chest. Wes hopped onto a stack of mats. It was typical of him to bring her someplace private, away from prying eyes, after making a spectacle in public. Wes was good at apologizing, but he was horrible about admitting he was wrong in front of others.
“Sorry about what I said on the court, but you needed some motivation. They were creaming us. I figured the best way to get you to play better was to make you mad.” He smiled.
Katie rolled her eyes and turned to walk away. She didn’t make it very far. Wes wrapped his legs around her thighs and pulled her backward. He draped his arm across her left shoulder and rested his hands on her ribs, right below her breast. She shuddered. His mouth was right next to her ear; his breath tickled her lobe.
“Why don’t you still have a crush on me?” he whispered. He traced his fingertip gently across her shoulder and down her arm.
Goosebumps rose on her flesh. Her stomach fluttered; a chill ran down her spine. The smell of soap and mint drifted into her nostrils. The heat from his body radiated through her, making her feel safe. It was a short-lived sensation though, and the flutter in her stomach quickly turned into a lump. She lifted her arm and dug her elbow into his side. He grunted and let go. Without a word, she stomped toward the gym.
Wes caught his breath and jumped off the mats. “Katie, come on. Come back. I’m sorry.” She turned around, her face red with anger. “Just leave me alone!”
She tried to keep her emotions in check, but the words came out louder than she expected. She spun around quickly, not wanting Wes to see how upset she was. As she did, she ran into someone. Jerking back, she opened her mouth to apologize, but the words stuck in her throat. Bright blue eyes met hers, then quickly flicked over her head. She took in the boy’s short light brown hair styled with gel, the full lips that turned down in a frown. The muscles bulged beneath his shirt, and she fought back the urge to place her hands back on his chest. Josh Evers.
“Everything all right, Katie? This guy bothering you?”
Oh, my God! she thought. He knows my name. Josh Evers knows my name!
It took her a moment to find her voice. “No, I’m fine. Thank you.”
The redness in her face that had been there from anger quickly turned into embarrassment. The desire to run and hide from both boys overwhelmed her.
“Hey, Josh, why don’t you mind your own business? Katie and I were having a private conversation.”
Katie glanced over her shoulder. Wes had placed his hands on his hips but hadn’t moved forward. She looked back at Josh.
“If you ask me, it doesn’t look like she wants to talk to you at all.” He balled his hands into fists at his sides, a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed by Wes.
“Oh, really? What are you going to do about it, Josh?” Wes spit the name out before taking a step forward.
Josh also took a step, and worry coursed through Katie’s body. The tension in the air was palpable. She didn’t want them fighting on her account. Although, in the back of her mind, the action flattered her. Especially coming from Josh. He had just transferred to their school at the beginning of the semester. As the captain of the baseball team, he was the desire of every girl in the school and the envy of the boys. Katie hadn’t thought he knew she existed. Yet, there he was coming to her rescue and calling her by name. It was enough to make her swoon. And she would have if the situation had been different. As it was, she needed to stay alert. A teacher could come by at any moment. She didn’t want them getting in trouble for her. She had no idea what she would say, but she could probably come up with something if she really needed to.
Not that she had anything to worry about from Wes. He’d never do anything to hurt her. He wasn’t lying when he said she used to have a crush on him. She’d liked him since they were in kindergarten. At times, Wes even made it seem he liked her back. Then, at other times, he made it perfectly clear he didn’t reciprocate her feelings. Those moments crushed her, sent her home crying on more than one occasion. But those moments of tenderness, the ones that made her believe he liked her, sustained her, kept her hoping that maybe someday something would happen between them. He had toyed with her emotions for their entire school career.
By her senior year in high school, she’d had enough. She couldn’t take the roller coaster of emotion, didn’t want to feel like she was being strung along. She resolved to stay away from Wes, convincing herself she could do it. Only one more year, then she’d leave for college, and she’d never have to see him again. But he showed up her in homeroom, then in her gym class. She wanted to burst into tears when he took the desk next to her. Why was he making this so difficult? Still, she wasn’t going to let her resolve fail. She would ignore him, pretend he didn’t exist.
When Josh showed up, he made pretending Wes wasn’t there so much easier. On top of that, he was standing up for her honor, defending her against a rival. As he stood in front of her, so close to her body she felt the heat radiating from him, thoughts of wrapping her arms around his waist and kissing him ran through her mind. She imagined how firm his muscles would feel under her hands, how soft his lips would be. She inhaled deeply and the spicy tang of aftershave caressed her nostrils. It took every ounce of self-control to keep from molesting him.
Josh took another step closer to Wes. Without thinking, she placed her hands on Josh’s stomach to stay him. As she suspected, the muscles were hard under her fingers. The seriousness of the situation flooded back into her mind. If she didn’t say something, a fight could ensue and someone might get hurt.
“Josh, no, please. He’s not worth it.” She glanced over her shoulder and stared at Wes with narrowed eyes.
Wes held his hands out to his sides. Hurt crossed his face.
Without saying another word, Josh wrapped his arm around Katie’s shoulders and escorted her into the gym away from Wes.
Review
By Lynda Dickson
Katie has had a crush on Wes since kindergarten. Wes has secretly been trying to protect Katie all these years, but his actions have left Katie confused. "For every tender action, he always followed it up with abandonment." Now Josh Evers, the new boy and also the hottest boy in school, is showing Katie a lot of attention. But Josh is hiding a secret as well. Josh is a demon and he wants to hurt Wes by going after those he loves, and that means Katie.
As Katie struggles with her feelings towards both boys, she also senses that there is a blackness in her soul. Can she change her destiny? Can she ever really trust Wes after all the secrets he has kept from her over the years? Can she "save" Josh? In this battle between good and evil, who will win, and which side will Katie choose?
While well-written for the most part, there was a bit too much exposition, tiresome self-analysis, and wondering about "what if" for my liking. As Katie herself even says, "She could drive herself crazy thinking about all the what-ifs." Well, I don't know about her, but she sure was driving me crazy! There was also too much description of characters' movements, for example: "When Katie was done eating, she brushed her teeth and grabbed her backpack from her room. She unplugged her phone from the charger and turned it back on, placing it in her pocket as she headed out the door. After pulling the door closed, she turned and stopped on the porch." Totally unnecessary! And be warned, this book ends on a major cliffhanger. You'll have to read the sequel to find out what happens next.
All in all, this was an interesting story that kept me reading, and I am now involved enough in the characters' lives to want to read the next book in the series.
Interview With the Author
Hi Pembroke, thanks for joining me today to discuss your new book, The Appeal of Evil.
What age group do you recommend your book for?
Thirteen and up. It’s a YA, but it has some older themes, mainly how girls figure out relationships.
What sparked the idea for this book?
There was a lot of inspiration behind this series. I was editing a story about demons and also thinking quite a bit about the Twilight series. My subconscious mixed the two together and I had a dream that became the basis of the story.
Which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?
The idea for the novel. Then as I start writing, the characters take me where they need to go.
What was the hardest part to write in this book?
The end. This was supposed to be a stand-alone book, but Katie decided her story needed to be longer.
How do you hope this book affects its readers?
I just hope they enjoy it. I hope they find the characters entertaining and want to know more about them.
How long did it take you to write this book?
I think they initial draft took three months, then several more months to revise.
What is your writing routine?
Whenever I can squeeze it in. I work a full-time job and have a family. Time isn’t a luxury.
How did you get your book published?
I am part of a blog tour, so I interview authors on my blog. One of the authors I interviewed was a Booktrope author, and her book manager friended me on Facebook. We became instant friends, and I asked her if she would be willing to look at my manuscript and give me feedback. Wendy fell in love with the story and told Booktrope they had to publish it. The rest is history.
What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
Never give up. The publishing world is incredibly subjective and full of rejection, but if you keep plugging away and sending your stuff out there, eventually someone is going to like it and put it out for the world to see.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Watch TV, read, hang out with my family, go snowmobiling in the winter.
What does your family think of your writing?
My husband has read everything I’ve ever written and given me feedback. He is probably my greatest supporter. My mom is also a huge supporter and has been a big encouragement to keep me writing.
That's great! Did you enjoy school?
Absolutely! I have a Master’s in English. I enjoyed school so much I went for 20 years!
Did you like reading when you were a child?
Oh, yeah. I devoured books as a child. Sometimes it makes me sad I don’t have that kind of time anymore.
What was your favorite book as a child?
I had several, but the one that stands out is Remember Me by Christopher Pike.
Who were your favorite authors as a child?
Christopher Pike. I read every single one of his YA books.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
High school. Although there were some bumps and detours between then and when my first book was published.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I don’t, but I would absolutely love to! You can send emails to pembrokesinclair@hotmail.com. Or write reviews. I would LOVE that!
What can we look forward to from you in the future?
I am currently working on a nonfiction book about zombies, then when that’s done, I’ll start the sequel to The Appeal of Evil.
Thank you for taking the time to stop by today. Best of luck with your future projects.
From the Author
In 2009, eTreasures Publishing published my first novel, a sci fi adventure story. Since then, they have published my two YA zombie novels, my religious zombie novella, two children’s picture books, and two novellas with romantic elements. I have an urban fantasy novel about dragons and a vampire novelette that was published by MuseItUp Publishing. Musa Publishing has published my novelette with romantic elements and a collection of short stories. I have a middle grade urban fantasy novel that was published by Little Devil Books. My nonfiction book about slasher films was published by Scarecrow Press.
Writing is my passion. I enjoy creating fantastic worlds and memorable characters. I’m an active promoter of my works and love to talk to readers at book signings and readings. Doing giveaways on Goodreads has been an exciting experience, and having contests for readers has been fun. I actively promote various authors on my blog and participate in blog tours to promote my own work.
I write under several different pen names. For my children’s titles, I write under J. D. Pooker, and for my YA and adult novels, I write under Pembroke Sinclair. My nonfiction work is done under my real name.
I am a member of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and am on a committee to create membership criteria for iPAL, which is a sister group to the Published Authors Liaison group and focuses on independent and self-published authors. I am also a member of the ALA and really enjoy doing library visits.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a T-shirt, or print copy (US only) or ebook copy of The Appeal of Evil.
Links
