INTERVIEW and GIVEAWAY
Glimpse of Darkness
(Chronicles of the Cursed Volume 1)
(Chronicles of the Cursed Volume 1)
by Nicole DelaCroix
Glimpse of Darkness is currently on tour with Bewitching Book Tours. The tour stops here today for my interview with the author and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
Charlene (Charlie) Bennett is a simple waitress in the wilds of Hyder, Alaska, whose father has just gone missing. Isolated and alone, her father's disappearance is nothing new to her, but this time things are a little different.
For starters, there is a handsome stranger, Daniel, who has come to town and, while Charlie has never taken more than a passing interest in strangers, she has an immediate and intense attraction to this one. Secondly, she's soon to find out that this stranger isn't what he appears. He's about to throw Charlie's entire world into a major upheaval.
Now Charlie has to decide if she believes this stranger's incredible story and follow Daniel or if she wants to stay in the only home she's ever known for an uncertain future and an absentee father. As she comes to terms with what Daniel shows her, she realizes that he's the only true thing in her life and leaves everything she knows behind to follow the handsome stranger.
Excerpt
She was standing in the middle of the poorly lit living room surrounded by chaos holding a baseball bat looking more like a scared child than the woman she was. "Charlie, please open the door." The voice sounded so familiar to her, but what on Earth would he be doing here, and how did he know where she lived. She moved towards the door. "Daniel?" "Yes. Charlie, please trust me, we don't have very much time, please open the door and let me help you."
She was very confused but she moved slowly to the door. She knew that Daniel couldn't have possibly done this mess, unless he had done it when she was working. But why would he do something like this and then spend the evening with her. "Charlie, please hurry, we don't have much time and I need you to trust me. I had nothing to do with what's happened in your home, believe me. I'm here only to help you."
She reached for the locks on the door and slowly turned them to open the door. Before she could even turn the knob, Daniel had turned the door and pushed his way in. He quickly moved through the door and closed it again and locked it pushing furniture in front of the door and windows. Charlie was standing there staring at him with the baseball bat still in a defense mode. "You can put that down; it won't do you any good anyway."
Charlie was disoriented and didn't understand what was going on. "What are you doing here? And how do you even know where I live?" Daniel hadn't stopped moving around the room moving furniture into defensive positions around the doors and windows. "I followed you Charlie." "What?! How did you follow me? I drove off and you were still standing in the parking lot when I left." "No Charlie. I wasn't. You saw me following you; you just don't want to admit that you knew it was me. But we don't have time for this right now. Please get whatever you need to leave this place forever and get to the back door as quickly as you can."
She was just standing there looking at him in bewilderment. What the hell did he mean he followed her? She had no idea what he was talking about, and leave this place forever, why on Earth would she do that? "Charlie. MOVE." His voice was filled with urgency and terror and Charlie snapped to her senses.
"I don't understand. What's going on?" Charlie was near tears, she didn't deal well with pressure to make snap decisions and was feeling overwhelmed by what was happening. "Charlie. I don't have time to explain everything to you, so please you will have to take some of this on faith until we can discuss this in a way that I can explain. Please. You know I would never hurt you; in fact I'm doing my best to prevent just that. But you are in serious danger right now, and I need you to focus and do as I say. Can you do that for me?"
Charlie was blinking back the tears but nodded her head. She didn't know why she trusted this man, but he'd not given her any reason not to and right now he was thinking straight and she wasn't. "Go into your room, grab as much clothes as you can put into a backpack. Nothing more than a backpack. Say you understand me." "I understand." "Good. Take only what you can carry in this one backpack, nothing more, and only take what you need. I know it's hard to let go of some things, but they are only possessions, so decide if they are worth your life. If they are, take them, if not, leave it. Say you understand me." "I understand, but..." "We don't have time, Charlie. NOW."
Featured Review
Charlene “Charlie” Bennett is a waitress in Hyder and her father has just gone missing. Her father has disappeared before so this isn’t something new but somehow things are different this time around. She is also isolated and alone.
Then there is Daniel who is a handsome stranger that has come to town. Charlie normally has no interest in the strangers that pass through town but this time Daniel has managed to change that with the intense and immediate attraction Charlie feels for him. Daniel also isn’t quite what he appears to be and he is throwing Charlie’s world into a major upheaval.
Now Charlie has to decide if she wants to or can believe the story Daniel is telling her and follow him or stay in the only home she has ever known. Especially when staying means an uncertain future with an absentee father. As she comes to trust in what Daniel shows her she also realizes that he is the one true thing in her life. So she leaves everything she knows to follow a handsome stranger.
This is a fun story with some great twists and turns. As each clue is revealed it leads to more questions that are slowly answered. This is a book that manages to pull the reader in and will have them not wanting to put it down until the very end. The characters are interesting and bring the story to life for the reader. Reading how Charlie and Daniel get to know each other and depend on each other makes for an engaging read. It will also have readers wanting more to find out exactly what eventually happens between Daniel and Charlie. This one will definitely have readers who haven’t read this author yet wanting to check out more from her. This is one is worth trying.
Interview With the Author
Hi Nicole, thanks for joining me today to discuss your new book, Glimpse of Darkness.
Thank you so much for having me. I love your site and I’m so excited to be here.
Thanks, Nicole. For what age group do you recommend your book?
I would feel comfortable recommending my book to all ages over 16. There is one ‘adult’ scene in the book that might be too risqué for some readers, but I prefer to let the reader be the judge.
What sparked the idea for this book?
I’ve always had a fascination with angels and the story of the Nephilim. I had been studying religious texts (for fun) and kept digging deeper into the legend. Before I knew it I was seven books deep and could name all the listed fallen angels. That’s when the story first began brewing.
So, which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?
For me, I think the character comes first. I can only compare it to the fully formed character standing there telling me to write their story. I get to the point where it’s almost compulsion that drives me to write their story.
What was the hardest part to write in this book?
I did find the ‘adult’ (sex) scene difficult to write, so I would say that had the biggest impact on me. I don’t have a problem with scenes of that nature, I read them all the time. I just had never really written one as explicit as the one in this book, so for me it was a little daunting. I did what I always do when I’m stumped, research. After reading a few books on the subject I felt a little more confident to take another swing at it. I thought that would be the end of it, but the honesty and bravery I had tapped into to write the scene had an unexpected lingering effect on me. I’ve become more honest and brave in my life over all, so I think it’s been incredibly beneficial.
That's great! How do you hope this book affects its readers?
I hope that the passion I hold for the subject and my characters comes across to the readers and they embrace them like I do. I would want my readers to want to know more, ask for more, and never let the characters leave them. I hope that something my character does or says means something special to each reader, and that they take something from me away with the experience.
How long did it take you to write this book?
I spent 7 full months just researching each and every detail of the story. There were so many religious aspects of my story and I wanted to convey my thoughts in a way that wouldn’t put the reader off. After researching, I spent another year off and on fleshing out the story line and coming up with a first draft. The bonus is that I had already planned on this being a series, so I’ve fully fleshed out the next few books in the series.
What is your writing routine?
I try to write for no less than 2 hours every day. I have multiple stories going at the same time, so if I ever feel like I’m at a pausing point (I hate to say writer’s block) then I switch gears. I find that if I spend a minimum of 2 hours I get my goals accomplished easier.
How did you get your book published?
I didn’t want to pursue traditional publishing at the time; I really wanted to get my feet wet, so I opted for Createspace and Kindle. Now that I’m working on a second book, which is in the non-fiction genre, I’m seeking representation with a traditional publisher.
What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
Never take no for an answer – your writing may not be one person’s cup of tea, but the next person may think it’s the best thing they’ve ever read. Writing and reading are subjective, think of readers like snowflakes. You have to find the right snowflake for your work and push the negative aside. Accept the constructive criticisms - they will make you a better writer - but let the negativity wash off. Most important, never give up; remember, Stephen King threw out Carrie before it got published.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I’m a huge reader and I usually have 4 or 5 books waiting on reviews. I also have a new nephew on the way, so I’ve been going crazy being a new Auntie!
Lovely! What does your family think of your writing?
My mother has been the most supportive person in the world to me. She didn’t understand why I wanted to follow this dream, but she stood behind me and has been better than any marketing department! The best way to describe what they think is this: my mom never reads, and she read my book and loved it. Aside from my mother, my aunts, sister, adoptive sisters, and cousins have been very supportive wherever they could.
Please tell us a bit about your childhood.
My father was military so we moved around a great deal, and making friends for me was very difficult. I grew up in Texas mostly but, since I had become so introverted, I didn’t really have many friends. So I escaped into the world of books; I was the one kid always in the library. I think my mother instilled in me a love of books and literature, and for that I could never thank her enough.
Did you like reading when you were a child?
Absolutely loved it! I started reading when I was pretty young, and I have a voracious appetite when it comes to books. My mom started me with fairy tales but once I had a taste, I moved on to bigger and grander books. I’m still a huge Sci-Fi/Fantasy fan.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I always had an inclination to internalize things, so I started writing when I was pretty young. Diaries and journals started me on the path and, once I hit high school, all I could do was write short stories and poetry. Anytime I felt overwhelmed I’d simply escape into my stories.
Did your childhood experiences influence your writing?
I think they are the reason I write. I lived my childhood either in a book or writing, so I learned to internalize everything and then write it down. I also learned to be pretty eclectic, so while my heart beats paranormal and fantasy, I don’t shy away from a genre that’s not so familiar.
Which writers have influenced you the most?
J. R. R. Tolkein, C. S. Lewis, Stephen King, Madeleine L’Engle, Carolyn Keene (yep, loved Nancy Drew), but most of all Emily Brontë.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I love when my readers give me feedback. I get a lot of inquiries about when the next book is coming out, but I really love it when I get off the wall questions. I’ve actually had a reader ask me to tell them something boring about myself. I loved the quirkiness of the question and I had to answer. In case you’re curious – I’m lactose intolerant.
What can we look forward to from you in the future?
I’m currently working on several things. I’m focused on book two – the sequel to Glimpse of Darkness – which is titled Blind Horizon. In addition, I kick around a ghost/horror story and a World War II story I’ve been formulating. My pet project is a non-fiction book that focuses on bravery, tentatively titled How Brave Are You? I’ve finished that book and am currently shopping around literary agents.
Thank you for taking the time to stop by today, Nicole. Best of luck with your future projects.
Thank you again for having me!
About the Author
Nicole Delacroix was born in Frankfurt, Germany, to a German mother and American military father. Her parents instilled in her a deep love of the written word and a profound respect for literature in all forms. So it's little wonder that from the moment she could first write she knew that writing would always be a part of who she is. From short stories to dabbling in scriptwriting, she passes her time with her day job as an IT professional but feverishly writes well into the night. Her passion for literature encompasses many different genres but her heart beats true with fantasy and science fiction. She's fiercely loyal to friends and family and is eagerly awaiting the day when she can move to London, England, her childhood dream.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win some great prizes (US only).
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