I’ve always been fascinated by the paranormal. I can’t seem
to write a story without
something paranormal at its core. That means I read a lot of
paranormal novels in children’s, YA and adult fiction. Here’s my top ten list. As
you work your way down the list, please imagine a drum roll before each is
revealed.
10) The Time Keeper by
Mitch Albom: It was one of the most meaningful books I’ve read and one I
think I’ll reread in years to come when I need perspective on time and what
truly matters in life.
9) Harry Potter and
the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling: This to me was the best book in a very
beloved series.
8) Daughter of Smoke
and Bone by Laini Taylor: It’s a heart-rending tale of two enemies who fell
in love and dared to hope...and what came next. Laini Taylor writes emotions in
a way that makes it impossible not to feel every excruciating and exhilarating
moment of it.
7) The Unbecoming of
Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin: Part horror, part paranormal. I loved having
an unreliable narrator and not knowing what's a hallucination and what's real.
6) Miss Peregrine’s
Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs: There's a creepy gothic feel to
it, cool found photography that weaves into the narrative, a unique take on
time travel, and scary monsters with unexpected origins. The writing is
phenomenal. I have an author crush on Ransom Riggs.
5) The Ocean at the
End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman: It's a fable that resonates with your soul.
I love Gaiman's confident writing. You never question his dreamy world
building. Sentences are so gorgeous and magnificent. You never want this tale
to end.
4) Last Sacrifice by
Richelle Mead: What a brilliant
ending to the Vampire Academy series. The entire novel kept me on the edge of
my seat, gripping my armrests. It was intense and awesome. Action packed and
heart-stopping.
3) An Ice Cold Grace
by Charlaine Harris: I loved how the darkness in the characters and the
story never completely extinguished the light inside it. Great flawed, gray
characters!
2) The Time
Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger: This is the kind of book I dream of
writing. The kind of emotion I hope to one day bleed onto the page.
1) Wuthering Heights
by Emily Bronte: This was the book that hooked me on paranormal. It’s what
I aspire to in my own writing: memorable characters, an unforgettable love
story, and paranormal elements that weave through the fiber of the story.
What are some of your top paranormal reads?
The Six Train to Wisconsin Series
Book Two
Kourtney Heintz
Genre: Paranormal and Suspense
Publisher: Aurea Blue Press
Date of Publication: 11/1/2016
ISBN: 978-0989132688
ASIN: TBA
Number of pages: 420
Word Count: 94,000
Cover Artist: Creative Paramita
Book Description:
His secrets almost killed her. Her secrets may destroy them both.
Kai is recovering from a near-death experience when she realizes something isn’t right. Her body is healing, but her mind no longer feels quite like her own. Her telepathic powers are changing, too. She can’t trust herself. The darkness growing inside of her pushes her to use her telepathy as a weapon.
Oliver clings to the hope that he can save their marriage, even though he was the one who put her life in jeopardy. As his wife slips further and further away from him, he becomes increasingly obsessed with bringing the man who ruined his life to justice.
The sequel to The Six Train to Wisconsin is a genre-defying tale of love and consequences. Once again, award-winning author Kourtney Heintz seamlessly weaves suspense and paranormal intrigue into a real-world setting, creating characters rich in emotional and psychological complexity.
Grab Book One for Free October 1-
December 1
The Six Train to Wisconsin
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CHAPTER
1
Kai
Like most
daughters, I loved my parents, but right now, I wanted them anywhere but here.
Hospitals are always hard, but my parents managed to make it harder. My head
was already pounding from all the thoughts and emotions coming at me. Not just
from the patients and their families and the doctors and the nurses, but also
from my mother and father. Instead of shielding their thoughts and trying to
make it better for me, they let their emotions crash into me.
My mind wasn’t
strong enough for all this. Neither was my body. Tubes eviscerated my right
hand. A giant bruise blossomed beside the newest IV line. A cast wrapped around
my left wrist. My broken pinky finger had been set and taped to my ring finger.
The back of my head was held together with stitches. Beneath the blanket, my
body was covered in bruises.
I didn’t feel
any physical pain because of the medications the doctors pumped into me. They
said I needed it to recover, but it made my body feel like it wasn’t mine. And
the steady drip of opiates didn’t just steal my physical pain; it left me
unable to form the psychic shield I needed to protect myself from the misery
swirling around me.
Mom sat in the
chair closest to my bed. She wore one of her flowing peasant blouses and faded
jeans. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and light brown strands slipped
loose to hang around her face. The corners of her hazel eyes were pinched with
worry.
Her hand hovered
over my arm, unsure where to touch me—if she should touch me. Finally, she laid
her hand gently on my thigh. “You just need to rest here for a few more days.”
She was wrong. I
needed to get out of here. Away from all these thoughts as soon as possible. “I
want to go home.”
Mom shook her
head. “You need to let the doctors help you.” Like they did last time.
Her thoughts
slammed into my brain. She thought hospitalization was the solution to
everything.
“Please. Look at
what’s happened to you. You can’t go home until you’re better,” she said. I
can’t lose you. I won’t let that happen.
I didn’t know
how to reassure her. Yes, I’d almost died, but being here was hurting me more
than it was healing me. I swallowed all the words I wanted to say and hoped for
Caleb to come back soon. My brother would know how to talk to Mom, how to make
her understand.
The doctor came
in to check on me and Mom’s agonizing fear rose up. Don’t let her have brain
damage.
Dad patted Mom’s
shoulder. He looked like an older, surfer version of Caleb. Both were tall and
muscular with curly blond hair. Dad’s hair was a darker blond streaked with
platinum from decades in the sun and salt water. His eyes were greener than
Caleb’s, but like Caleb’s, they were rimmed with purple bruises. When Dad
smiled, sun lines radiated from his eyes and cut across his cheeks. But I
hadn’t seen them since he’d arrived at my bedside. Instead, waves of exhaustion
rolled off him and rippled over me, right before I heard his thoughts. I can’t
go through this again, watching you slip away.
My younger
sister Naomi lounged in the chair in the corner as far from me as she could
get. She had Mom’s light brown hair and thin frame and Dad’s green eyes and
height. She looked nothing like me and only distantly related to Caleb. Her
long legs looped over the armrest as she flipped through a magazine. Thanks for
ruining Christmas break. I’d rather be anywhere but here.
I felt the same
way.
At least Oliver
was gone for the moment. Mom had convinced him to go home, take a shower, maybe
even sleep. I couldn’t bear his guilt; it was so thick it choked me.
Oliver. My
husband. God. I’d never loved and hated someone so much at the same time. I
still couldn’t believe he’d called my parents. He knew how bad they were at
handling me. How could he have thought that having my family here would be good
for me?
Bitterness
frosted my thoughts. I was in a hospital, bruised and battered. I’d almost
died. That’s what Caleb had said. He was the only one willing to tell me the
truth. Oliver had said it was bad, but he wouldn’t say how bad. He couldn’t
bear to admit what happened to me.
About the Author:
Kourtney Heintz is the award-winning and bestselling author of The Six Train to Wisconsin (2013), the first book in The Six Train to Wisconsin series. She also writes bestselling young adult novels under the pseudonym K.C. Tansley. Heintz is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America, and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Heintz has given writing workshops and author talks at libraries, museums, universities, high schools, conventions, wineries, non-profits organizations, and writing conferences. She has been featured in the Republican American of Waterbury, Connecticut; on WTNH’s CT Style; and on the radio show, Everything Internet.
Kourtney resides in Connecticut with her warrior lapdog, Emerson, and three quirky golden retrievers. Years of working on Wall Street provided the perfect backdrop for her imagination to run amok at night, envisioning a world where out-of-control telepathy and buried secrets collide.
Kourtney resides in Connecticut with her warrior lapdog, Emerson, and three quirky golden retrievers. Years of working on Wall Street provided the perfect backdrop for her imagination to run amok at night, envisioning a world where out-of-control telepathy and buried secrets collide.
You can find out more about Kourtney and her books at: http://kourtneyheintz.com
http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomkourtney_heintz
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1 comment:
Thanks for hosting my guest post today! I had a blast creating this list. :)
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