Monday, December 8, 2014

Witch Hunter: The Ravens Hollow Series by Shari Nichols



Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?

I’ve always loved the paranormal genre for as long as I can remember. It’s fun to create a unique setting and build a magickal world. It’s also convenient to have your characters use magick to get out of sticky situations. I was inspired by the Harry Potter series and loved reading the HP fan fiction. I thought maybe I could create a story like HP, but for adults. The fact that I grew up in a small town in Connecticut, known for hauntings also might have had something to do with it. I spent a lot of time hanging out at a neighbor’s who introduced me to the Ouija board. I have fond memories of riding my bike to my best friend’s grandmother’s house where she used to serve us orange juice and chocolate chip cookies and talk about the ghost that lived with her.  The paranormal has always been something embedded in my psyche, something I have been brought up with and fascinated by in every way. I’m not only interested in ghosts and witches, but Nessie, UFO’s, Big Foot, and even mermaids, you name it, the stranger the better!

What inspired you to write this book?

My favorite fan fiction stories were always the ones with a romantic theme surrounding Hermione and Draco. I love that kind of conflict and sexual tension between a hero and heroine. Another inspiration, well a really twisted one that is, came from a story I’d read in the newspaper about a serial killer by the name of Stephen Griffiths. He was handsome, a PhD student and had a bright future ahead of him, but he was a sociopath. The story caught my attention and reminded me of Ted Bundy with a Jack the Ripper twist.

Please tell us about your latest release.

I think a book blurb is in order:
Determined MBI (Magickal Bureau of investigations) agent Alex Denopoulos will stop at nothing to catch a killer, including recruit notorious felon, Willow McCray to work for the agency. The lines between duty and passion become blurred the more time he spends with the sultry witch. In the midst of the investigation, they succumb to the dark edges of desire, placing both their lives in danger. Alex will risk more than his badge to keep her alive.
Kick-ass witch Willow must use her powers for good if she wants to stay out of Hellios, a mage prison for those who have broken the Wiccan Rede of ‘Harm ye None.’ Willow never expects to fall so hard for Alex, a mortal with a penchant for justice and a deep seated hatred of witches. Though a future together seems impossible, she doesn’t want to let him go. If only she can vanquish the evil surrounding them and give Alex what he wants, her mind and body-before she loses her heart and maybe her very soul in the process.

Do you have a formula for developing characters? Like do you create a character sketch or list of attributes before you start writing or do you just let the character develop as you write?

I definitely have detailed character sketches, and horoscope charts that I fill out before I write the story. Eventually, the personalities emerge from there and becomes more three dimensional than the glimpses I see in my head. As I write the story, the characters become more fully developed people. My critique partners help too. They will always tell me what my characters would never say or do. So they help me define the characters as well.

What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?

My favorite scene to write was when a small group of witches from a coven that the killer has targeted get together and try to divine his location using magick. I get to showcase their abilities all at once, which is a lot of fun! There’s a Tarot card reader, a medium, a tea leave reader, a seer with the unique ability to see images in a cauldron of water using candle wax and a witch who can see images in a magick mirror. I think it sets the tone and immerses the reader into this world.

Did you find anything really interesting while researching this or another book?

Yes! I’ve gotten to see many interesting things. I went to a crime scene lab and got to see pictures of decomposing bodies. I also went to a ballistics lab and got a tour. I interviewed a forensic expert, whose job was to create a computer composite of unidentified victims based on whatever was left of them, even if it was just bones. I also got a chance to visit a haunted inn.  I also interviewed a medium, but not for this book.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you deal with it?

I find that when I’m not writing consistently I have trouble getting words on the page. I try to read my favorite authors and then ideas flow more easily. I go back and reread where I left off and take a walk and then just keep at it. The more time you spend on the story the more the ideas will flow, especially when you’re driving or in the shower. I love the creative vibe you get when your head is truly in the story. There’s nothing better.

When did you consider yourself a writer?

Even before I ever wrote my first novel, a contemporary romance that’s in a drawer somewhere, I used to write crazy top ten lists, short stories, and crazy little notes and antidotes that I would share with friends and family. But once I started submitting my work to my critique partners, contests, agents and editors, then I guess I felt more legitimate.

What are your guilty pleasures in life?

I love to get pampered. I adore facials, massages, manicures and pedicures. If you can’t take a little time to do something for yourself you stress, although lately I haven’t had much time for those things. But I'm not complaining!

What was the last amazing book you read?

I absolutely loved Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren. The writing is so fluid and sensual! I couldn’t put it down.  

What can readers expect next from you?

They can expect another sexy romance about a medium that's forced to banish a vengeful spirit from a haunted inn. I have some contemporaries in the works as well. I love the whole billionaire trend. I think it’s very sexy right now.

Where can readers find you on the web?


Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?

Willow took a sip of her margarita and glanced down at Alex’s big hands, tanned and sprinkled with a smattering of dark hair. Funny, she never found a man’s hands sexy. Suddenly her mind filled with images of Alex trailing those big, masculine hands over her body. She wondered if he fit the stereotype. Big hands, big…

“You never did answer my question. Are you considering taking me up on my offer?” The sound of his voice pulled her from a host of fantasies. Willow dug her nails into her palm to get her head back in the game. She shouldn’t be thinking about this man in such a raw, sexual way.

“Why not? My car’s parked in the back.” She probed through the nearby crowd to check if Alex came here with bodyguards. A virtual cacophony of conversations invaded her thoughts, but nothing about protection for Alex. Once she got him alone, she’d take her chances and pray she wouldn’t be outnumbered. “Then let’s get out of here. Unless of course I’ve got some competition.” He   motioned over her shoulder to the incubus whose head now lolled forward over the bar.

“I think you’re flying solo here.” She’d set her trap and let the consequences be damned. She rubbed her finger along the rim of the glass and licked off the salt.
She lifted the glass to her lips, savoring the tangy flavor of margarita mix along with the zing of tequila as it slid down her throat. Headrush. No surprise there, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept or eaten in the past forty-eight hours, existing on a combination of raw nerves and pure adrenaline.

“You missed a spot.” He ran his thumb along the seam of her lip. He put it to his mouth and licked. “Mmm, sweet.” Her plan didn’t involve foreplay…but damn he was hot. In another time and another place she would be seriously into this guy. Too bad I might have to kill him.




Witch Hunter
The Ravens Hollow Series
Book 1
Shari Nichols

Genre: Erotic, Paranormal romance    

Date of Publication:  November 19, 2014

ISBN:  9781419991882

Number of pages:194
Word Count: 90,000

Book Description:

Determined MBI (Magickal Bureau of investigations)agent Alex Denopoulos will stop at nothing to catch a killer, including recruit notorious felon, Willow McCray to work for the agency. The lines between duty and passion become blurred the more time he spends with the sultry witch. In the midst of the investigation, they succumb to the dark edges of desire, placing both their lives in danger. Alex will risk more than his badge to keep her alive.

Kick-ass witch Willow must use her powers for good if she wants to stay out of Hellios, a mage prison for those who have broken the Wiccan Rede of ‘Harm ye None.’ Willow never expects to fall so hard for Alex, a mortal with a penchant for justice and a deep seated hatred of witches. Though a future together seems impossible, she doesn’t want to let him go.

Can she vanquish the evil surrounding them and give Alex her mind and body before she loses her heart and maybe her soul?


Excerpt:

Willow took a sip of her margarita and glanced down at Alex’s big hands, tanned and sprinkled with a smattering of dark hair. Funny, she never found a man’s hands sexy. Suddenly her mind filled with images of Alex trailing those big, masculine hands over her body. She wondered if he fit the stereotype. Big hands, big…
“You never did answer my question. Are you considering taking me up on my offer?” The sound of his voice pulled her from a host of fantasies. Willow dug her nails into her palm to get her head back in the game. She shouldn’t be thinking about this man in such a raw, sexual way.
“Why not? My car’s parked in the back.”She probed through the nearby crowd to check if Alex came here with bodyguards. A virtual cacophony of conversations invaded her thoughts, but nothing about protection for Alex. Once she got him alone, she’d take her chances and pray she wouldn’t be outnumbered. “Then let’s get out of here. Unless of course I’ve got some competition.” He   motioned over her shoulder to the incubus whose head now lolled forward over the bar.
“I think you’re flying solo here.” She’d set her trap and let the consequences be damned. She rubbed her finger along the rim of the glass and licked off the salt.
She lifted the glass to her lips, savoring the tangy flavor of margarita mix along with the zing of tequila as it slid down her throat. Headrush. No surprise there, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept or eaten in the past forty-eight hours, existing on a combination of raw nerves and pure adrenaline.
“You missed a spot.” He ran his thumb along the seam of her lip. He put it to his mouth and licked. “Mmm, sweet.” Her plan didn’t involve foreplay…but damn he was hot. In another time and another place she would be seriously into this guy. Too bad I might have to kill him.





About the Author:

Shari Nichols grew up in a small town in Connecticut where haunted houses, ghosts and Ouija boards were common place, spurring her fascination with all things paranormal. Ever since she read her first Barbara Cartland novel, her life-long dream has been to write sexy, romantic stories. Shari has been married to her own alpha hero for twenty-two years. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, going to the gym, or hanging out with family and friends.

She lives in New Jersey with her husband, two teenagers, and her adoring golden retriever. Shari graduated from Rider University with a degree in Business Administration. After spending several years in the grind of Corporate America, she quit to stay at home with her kids. Now she’s thrilled to spend her days in sweats, eating chocolate while pounding on her keyboard to create her next novel. 

Her first book, Witch Hunter has been contracted with Ellora’s Cave Publishing. Her next book, another steamy, romance, will venture into the world of ghosts and haunted inns. Shari is a member of Romance Writers of America, New Jersey Romance Writers, Liberty States Fiction Writers and Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal Romance Writers.





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2 comments:

shari nichols said...

Thank you so much Fang-tastic Books for having me as a guest! I love your site!

bn100 said...

Nice cover

 
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