The Vengeful
Chantel Fourie
In a world where vengeful creatures battle humans, knowing who to trust could be the difference between losing his brother and saving the human race.
When Zack ends up in an alternate dimension and loses his brother to the Vengeful, the last thing he expects is that one of the soul-seeking creatures would save his life.
Vale, a Vengeful with human capabilities, needs his help to retrieve an orb from the last remaining human settlement. In return, he promises to help Zack save his brother and take them back to their own world.
In the settlement, he learns the truth about the Vengeful and the orb’s power. But it is only when he meets Shiro, the human leader, that Zack begins to have doubts. Can he trust Vale to keep his promise, or should he believe Shiro instead?
The fate of the human race rests on his choice.
Available at
What inspired you to write this
book?
I had a strange,
lucid dream about reaper-like creatures: The scene where Zack and his brother
drive down the foggy road and see the Vengeful for the first time. That one
scene shaped into a story after I woke up.
Do you have a special formula for
creating characters' names? Do you try to match a name with a certain meaning
to attributes of the character or do you search for names popular in certain
time periods or regions?
I’m very picky
when it comes to names, but for me it’s not about the meaning of the name, it’s
about fitting the name with the character. It has to sound like it belongs to
the character. I usually google or use a name generator tool until I find the
perfect one.
Is there a character that you
enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
Yes, Vale. I love the
grave sound of his voice and his good/bad characteristics as a Vengeful.
With the book being part of a
series, are there any character or story arcs, that readers jumping in somewhere
other than the first book, need to be aware of? Can these books be read as
stand alones?
Hmm, well if
readers jump into a series other than the first book it’s only natural that
they will miss something important. Most things happen in the first book that
readers should want to know about.
For example: How
Zack arrives in the parallel world, the different kinds of Vengeful, what
happened to Zack’s brother, who is Vale and Shiro and why they are important to
the story, etc.
The second book
will be a direct sequel, but I think if the reader decides to only read one
book that it can be read as stand alones.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s
block? How do you deal with it?
I’m one of those
lucky people that rarely experience writer’s block. I have the opposite problem.
I have so many ideas that I write multiple stories at once. When I’m stuck on
one scene, I move to the next story. It works for me so far and I hope to keep
it up.
When did you consider yourself a writer?
I’ve been
fascinated with words ever since I learned how to write. I have a whole
collection of stories that I wrote in school, but it’s in 2012 when I played
the game, Alan Wake, that I decided, “I want to be a writer”. Alan Wake’s life
and struggles as a writer touched me deeper than any other game or book and I
found his writing so thrilling and fresh that I wanted my own stories to do the
same for readers.
Other than writing, what are some of
your interests, hobbies or passions in life?
Ah, where to
start… I read books or play computer games in my free time and watch anime twice
a week. I love all things paranormal and enjoy finding out more about ghosts,
vampires, human abilities, etc. Science, Space, and technology intrigue me. Oh,
and I would love to do Martial Arts and Snowboarding someday… Yip, I have too
many interests.
What was the last amazing book you
read?
Divergent. I
wanted to read it before watching the movie and WOW, didn’t think I would enjoy
it as much as I did. I love how well-written and thought-provoking the book is.
A must-read for anyone who like Young Adult.
What can readers expect next from
you?
I’m working on
three Young Adult fantasies alongside the sequel of The Vengeful.
It depends on
which one I finish first.
Where can readers find you on the
web?
I’m mostly active
on Twitter @darkwrld1021. Readers can visit my website for links to my other
accounts:
chantelfourie.weebly.com
Would you like to leave readers with
a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
Sure. Here is an
excerpt from chapter 1:
Excerpt:
As soon as
the engine shut off, silence crept in. It pressed down on Zack’s chest, almost
suffocating him. He needed to get out of here before he went crazy. His hand
went for the door, but Jake grabbed his arm. Zack shot him a glare, brushing
off his hand, wondering what the issue could be this time. But then he saw it
too. His stomach dropped as he looked at the figures of three more of the
strange cloaked people. He noticed these were different. They were bigger and
cloaked in a darker shade of gray. The hoods shadowed each of their faces and
their hands and feet were invisible. Two carried weapons. One held a sword,
engulfed in a dark purple energy, and the other a giant hammer, surrounded by
the same substance.
“I don’t
think you should have stopped, Jake.” Zack gulped.
“I didn’t,”
Jake said as he turned the key in the ignition, but the car stayed quiet. There
wasn’t even a click. “It’s dead!”
The people
hovered closer. The giant hammer-wielding creature stopped at the side of the
car. Zack’s side. Blood drained from Zack’s face as it lifted the hammer high
above its shoulder.
“Drive,
Jake! Drive!”
“I can’t. It
won’t start!”
“Oh crap.”
Zack ducked as the hammer swung down. He waited for the pain to sink in... For
the car to explode... Anything. But when nothing happened, he sat up slowly.
The car was still in one piece. He checked his body for any changes and
relaxed. The hammer did no visible damage at all. “What’s going on?” a
bewildered Zack asked.
“Whoa, it
went right through! Did you see that?”
Zack didn’t
answer, because first, he didn’t see, and second, one of the other people moved
forward. This one held no weapon. It stopped in front of the car, standing with
its face cast downward for what felt like forever, and then let loose a
terrifying screech. The frequency was so high it nearly pierced his eardrums.
“Cover your
ears!” Zack yelled as he covered his own with the palm of his hands, but it
didn’t drive out the noise or stop the pain pulsing through his brain.
“It’s not
working!” Jake said, looking right into the screamer’s face.
Instead of
looking, Zack shut his eyes, thinking it would help if he didn’t see it.
“Can’t
handle this, my... brain...” Jake groaned.
Zack jerked
his head at the click of the car door, catching Jake stumbling out. “What the
hell are you doing? Get back inside!” Zack yelled. “Are you crazy?”
Jake
ignored him. He stumbled down the road a few feet before he stopped and looked
back. His face was stripped of all emotion, his eyes still fixed on the
screaming person who moved closer toward him. The other people followed. What’s so interesting about that thing’s
face that Jake wasn’t running! Zack got out of the car to jerk him away,
but he was too late.
The people
were upon Jake before he could move. Let
go of my brother, you freaks! Zack wanted to scream, but his voice refused.
The two carrying weapons swung them down through his body with sheer force. As
Jake yelled, a wave of cold rushed through Zack’s body, chilling him to the
bone.
“No!” Shaking,
he stepped forward. “Jake!” He forced a yell as he gasped for air. His heart
pumped wildly in his chest. This couldn’t be happening. Not to Jake. Not his
brother.
About the Author:
Chantel Fourie is a YA author, specializing in Fantasy and Paranormal fiction. She lives in Despatch, a quiet town in South Africa.
Since a young age, she has treasured books and spent many afternoons at the local library. Even after the librarians suggested the adult section, she kept loyal to the Young Adult shelves.
Her first novella, The Vengeful, is published with Lycaon Press. She is currently working on various short stories and novellas, including the sequel of The Vengeful. When she is not writing, she is most likely absorbed in a world of fiction or playing online computer games with her friends.
You can find her on:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/darkwrld1021
Website: www.chantelfourie.weebly.com
Posts
4 comments:
nice interview
A great post thank you.
Great interview! Looking forward to reading this!
Loved this post. The book looks like it would be really good. Ta!
Post a Comment