Today we have a very special guest, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author H.P. Mallory.
She's here to tell us about her newest book, Better Off Dead, which is the first in a brand new series and she's offering a giveaway of 10 ebook copies.
Hello HP welcome back to Fang-tastic Books.
Let's dive into the interview, Can you tell readers a little bit about
yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
Hi everyone! Well, I’ve
always been enthralled with anything paranormal, ever since I was little so
when I started writing, I think it was only natural that I would want to write
in this genre. I just love the creative freedom I have as a paranormal author!
What inspired you to write this
book?
I wrote this book because
I’ve always loved Dante’s Inferno and thought it would be a really fun idea to
do a modern spin on it. Although Dante’s Inferno isn’t central to the book,
it’s sort of a sideline story but it was still really fun to write about.
Please tell us about your latest
release.
My latest release is
called Better Off Dead and it’s the first book in my Lily Harper series. The
basic premise is about a woman who dies before it’s her time to go. She finds
out her guardian angel is at fault as he wasn’t paying attention during her car
accident. The afterlife (which is set up quite like the DMV) offers her the
chance to live again with the caveat that she has to retrieve souls that were
mistakenly sent to the Underground City (aka hell) during a Y2K computer
glitch.
Was one of your characters more
challenging to write than another?
One of the characters,
Tallis Black, is an ancient Scottish Celt and his accent is really pretty
difficult to capture!
Is there a character that you
enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
Oh my gosh, yes. The
character of the guardian angel, Bill, is probably my most favorite character
I’ve ever written. He’s nothing like what you think of when you think of an
angel. Instead, he’s course, crude, crass but lovable.
What is your favorite scene from the
book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
So far I’ve really enjoyed
writing about Lily’s adventures in the first level of the Underground City.
It’s just been really fun trying to capture her fear as well as her amazement
by everything she sees around her.
Did you find anything really interesting
while researching this or another book?
Yes. I did quite a bit of
research into ancient Scotland and the Celts and Druids for the backstory on my
Scotsman and really enjoyed reading about the history of Scotland. Fascinating
stuff!
Can you tell readers a little bit
about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from
our normal world?
Well, it’s very magical,
for one. Since it deals with the paranormal, anything really goes! There is
quite a bit of mystery and the Underground City is pretty scary as well. I
tried to incorporate things that have always scared me in shaping the levels of
the city.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s
block? How do you deal with it?
You know, I never have!
Knock wood! I have moments where I don’t feel like writing but it’s not really
writer’s block, it’s just laziness!
When did you consider yourself a
writer?
I’ve wanted to be a writer
since I was 12 years old. I’ve been writing stuff off and on my whole life. I
really started full time, serious writing about five years ago when I wrote my
first book, Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble.
Where can readers find you on the
web?
My website: www.hpmallory.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hpmallory
Would you like to leave readers with
a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
Sure!
This is the introduction
of the Scottish character, Tallis Black:
I heard
the deep voice coming from behind me and turned so quickly, I gave myself
whiplash. But the pain in my neck was a distant memory as words died in my
throat. It was all I could do to stare at the stranger, fear already enveloping
me. He was, in a word ... intimidating. He was huge—maybe bordering on seven
feet tall—easily the tallest man I’d ever seen. And his build was just as
threatening: incredibly broad shoulders, offset with bulky pecs, and abs that
could have redefined “washboard.” He wasn’t wearing anything besides a black
kilt and what looked like Gladiator sandals—leather straps that snaked up his
muscular legs. In his right hand he held a sword with an incredibly long
blade—the tip of which currently rested in the snow.
Even
though his body seemed built for combat, I couldn't pry my eyes away from his
face. It was a face that would be very difficult to forget—with chiseled and
square lines that didn’t seem at home in the category of “handsome.” In fact,
I’m not sure you could have termed this guy handsome because he was entirely too
masculine for the word. His eyes, which were currently narrowed on me, were
navy blue and hard, just like the rest of him. In fact, hard was a good
description. There was a certain hard edge to the frown that contorted his full
lips and the scar that bisected his cheek. It ran from the tip of one eyebrow
and ended at his jaw line. His short, black hair and olive complexion gave him
a certain Mediterranean air, but there was no question as to his ancestry. He
was Scottish, born and bred. If his kilt didn’t convince me, his Gaelic did.
Better Off Dead
HP Mallory
From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, HP Mallory, Comes BETTER OFF DEAD, the first book in the Lily Harper series!
If there’s such a thing as luck, Lily Harper definitely doesn’t have it.
Killed in a car accident before it’s her time to go, Lily learns that the hereafter isn’t exactly what she hoped it might be.
First, there’s AfterLife Enterprises, the company responsible for sorting out the recently dead and sending them on their way to the Kingdom, (aka happily ever after,) or to the Underground City, (not so happily ever after.) Learning that Lily’s death was indirectly their fault (her guardian angel, Bill, was MIA during her accident and was one of their employees,) Afterlife Enterprises offers Lily the chance to live again. But, as with most things involving the afterlife, beware the small print. Most notably, Lily will have to become a soul retriever, venturing into the bowels of the Underground City to retrieve souls that were mistakenly sent there by Afterlife Enterprises during a Y2K computer glitch.
Second, there’s angel Bill. As if risking her second life in the Underground City wasn’t enough, Lily’s guide to the Underground is none other than her incompetent, alcoholic, womanizing guardian angel, Bill, the antithesis of anything wholesome. With only Dante’s Inferno and Bill to help her in her quest, Lily’s future isn’t looking bright.
Finally, there’s the legendary bladesmith, Tallis Black. As Scottish as his kilts and heavy brogue, Tallis Black is a centuries-old Celt who, for reasons only known to him, offers to train Lily and act as her escort into the depths of the Underground City. Dark, brooding and definitely dangerous, Lily knows she shouldn’t trust Tallis, but she also can’t deny her attraction to him.
Between soul retrieving in hell, dealing with Bill and trying to figure out what’s in it for Tallis, Lily wonders if maybe she would’ve just been better off dead.
HP Is giving away 10 ebook copies of
Better of Dead
If you'd like a chance to win a copy
please fill out the Rafflecopter below
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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