Can you tell readers a little bit
about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
My
name is Kristy Centeno, I'm a mommy to five little ones, and I love to read and
write. However, given the lack of time I don't always have time to do either.
The
paranormal genre is my favorite and always has been. I've been fascinated with
things that go bump in the night for as long as I can remember. It came natural
to me that when I decided to finally make my longtime dream come true and
write, paranormal was the direction I took.
What is it about the paranormal, in
particular vampires, that fascinates you so much?
When
it comes to werewolves and vampires I've always had a weak spot for them. I
think they are intriguing.
What inspired you to write this book?
As
odd as this may sound to some, I was inspired to write Deliverance after a
dream I had three years ago. As soon as I woke up I took a notebook and wrote
down everything I observed in the dream and left it there for months.
At
the time I was pregnant with my daughter and not feeling well so I forgot I had
all the info in my notebook. It wasn't until I was in my third trimester, and
going through that nesting phase when I found the notes and developed a plot. I
wrote down the first five chapters, saved it to my drive, and moved on to other
matters.
When
my daughter was several months old I revisited what I'd written and took over.
It took me close to a year to write the entire book because I was also working
on other work I had a deadline for so I basically worked on Deliverance when I had
free time.
Please tell us about your latest
release.
Deliverance is a new adult/young adult contemporary with
paranormal elements. It follows a very unlikely pair as they seek the help of
individuals that may turn out to be a bigger danger to them than the evil
maniac pursuing them.
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
do a little of both. Sometimes I try to match the name to the character based
on his or hers personality. Other times I go for a name that was either popular
at the time or most uncommon.
Was one of your characters more
challenging to write than another?
Yes.
The male lead was very challenging for me to write because as an individual who
has spent long periods of time jailed and forced to live through traumatizing
events, he needed to come off with a personality that gave away much but at the
same time nothing at all.
He's
big and scary but very insecure and he has a hard time trying to hide this from
the protagonist and everyone else around them. In order to gain her trust he
has to pretend to be something he is not and this is very hard for him to do.
Because
of all these components I had to revisit his POV's often and make sure he
transmitted an innocence someone his age and size would not exhibit, but came
off as fierce and protective as well.
Is there a character that you enjoyed
writing more than any of the others?
That would have to
be Grandma Rose. A granny with a bold personality who is not afraid to stand up
for herself and protect her loved ones.
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?
On occasions I do
write attributes to help guide me on what I want a specific character.
Otherwise, I go with the flow.
What is your favorite scene from the
book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
Well,
imagine you're trying to teach someone who has spent his entire life locked up
and forced to live through traumatic events, to kiss? This describes my
favorite scene. Almost every experience for the male lead outside his prison is
a new one, and when the heroine decides to give him a kiss for the first time
let's just say that sparks fly.
Can you tell readers a little bit
about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from
our normal world?
The
world in Deliverance doesn't differ that much from ours, except that werewolves
and vampires play a part in the male lead's life.
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?
Deliverance
was not originally supposed to be the beginning of a series, but while I was
wrapping up the book I realized there were a lot of questions that went
unanswered and the readers would need to be clarified eventually. After
speaking with my publisher we decided it would be best to include a sequel so
that I could finish tying up the lose knots.
Do any of your characters have similar
characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?
Stubbornness.
A lot of my characters are stubborn and unfortunately I'm often accused of
being the same.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s
block? How do you deal with it?
At
times I do. I deal with writer's block by walking away from the project I'm
working on for a few days and then try again. Reading also gets my mind going
again.
Do you have any weird writing quirks
or rituals?
I'm not sure what
you'd qualify as weird exactly, but I do tend to have like 3 or 4 notebooks
around me. I used to have only 1, but now I have extra just in case I need
them. I also place pencils, pens, my IPad (to serve as music purposes only), a
bottle of cold water, and an another laptop in case I have to look something up
really quickly. Without these I can't start writing.
Do you write in different genres?
New adult, young adult, fantasy, paranormal, and
contemporary.
Do you find it difficult to write in
multiple genres?
Not at all. I like the challenge.
When did you consider yourself a
writer?
When
I wrote my first book, and then again when it was published.
What are your guilty pleasures in
life?
Chocolate
and coffee.
Other than writing, what are some of
your interests, hobbies or passions in life?
I
love to read, write, go shopping or to the movies. I enjoy movie night with
family, going out to do some fun outdoor activity(weather permit), and
listening to music.
Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a cozy
corner or special reading spot?
My
reading nook in my bedroom. It's cozy and quiet.
What can readers
expect next from you?
Book 2 of the Forgotten Divinity series is due to be
released in December, and I'm currently working on book 3. Also developing the
plot for book 6 of the Secrets of the Moon saga.
Would you like to
leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
I’m startled awake by a hand being
forcefully slapped over my mouth. My first instinct is to
fight. I flail my arms and kick out, determined to break free. I land a right
hook on the figure’s face, but end up cracking my pinky
instead. My assailant is unperturbed and continues to hold me down to the bed.
“Kristina, it’s me.”
I lie still, staring at the wet hair
plastered against his forehead, trying to process the whole
ordeal.
“Don’t make any noise.” Tiger points to the
window to my left, on the other side of the room. “There
are men outside.
Another pair is downstairs in the
lobby,”
he whispers as he releases me.
Reality sets in. We have been trailed
to the B and B. But how?
“Are they Gerard’s men?” I sit up and glance
toward the door, already picturing them barging in at gunpoint,
threatening to kill us if we make a sound.
“Yes.”
I almost swallow my tongue in fear. “How did they find us
so
quickly?”
“His resources go far and wide.” Tiger picks up both
duffle
bags and points to mine. “Take it. Move slowly and quietly,”
he instructs.
This is why Rose told me to wait it
out in the farmhouse until nightfall. Gerard would be
looking for us nonstop and now he knows where we are.
“How are we going to get past them?” I scramble off the bed
and pick up my bag, shoving the strap over my head and shoulder.
Tiger tiptoes to the door and opens it
to look out. “When
we
first came in, I noticed an exit on the opposite side. If we can sneak in that
direction, we might make it outside.”
“Didn’t you say there are men outside?”
The door closes with a light push as
he turns to face me. “By the sound of their heartbeats, I
have pinpointed their locations to the front of the building, but we must make
haste. Soon they will cover all the exists and box us in.”
“Say we make it out, what then?”
“We have to go now. They are heading
this way.”
Without another word, he opens the door, grabs my hand, and pulls me
out into the hallway. I shut the door softly and follow along as he rounds a
corner to our right.
Deliverance
Kristy Centeno
Genre: NA/Paranormal
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Date of Publication: March 19, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-939590-78-7
ISBN: 978-1-939590-79-4
ASIN: B01BUIBA7C
Number of pages: 327
Word Count: 119,000
Cover Artist: Nagla Qamber
Book Description:
He’s been locked away his entire life.
He dreams of freedom.
The only way he can accomplish his goals is by breaking free of the chains tying him to a dark past and gloomy existence. But there’s one catch. He’s not human.
And he’s never set foot outside his jail.
Devoted to saving his peers as well as his own life, he sets out to find the one person that can help him achieve his objectives. He knows where she will be and what she will look like, but what he doesn’t anticipate is the fact he finds himself caring for the girl whose life he’s put at risk, more and more each day.
He has no name.
He has only known hatred and violence before her.
However, she will teach him to have faith in humanity, even if she can’t trust him.
Together they will embark on a journey to bring down a corrupt system responsible for the loss of many innocent lives. But when he finds his feelings compromised, can he still move on knowing that doing so will put an end to the life she once knew? How far is he willing to go to be free?
About the Author:
Kristy Centeno is the author of the Secrets of the Moon saga and Keeper Witches series.
She has always had a passion for books and after years of being an avid reader, she decided to transform her desire to write into a reality and thus, her first novel was born. When she’s not busy taking care of her five children or holding down the fort, she finds time to sit and do what she loves the most: writing.
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