My guest today is Jody Kessler, talking about being a writer and her debut novel, DEATH LIES BETWEEN US . I Lo-o-o-ved this book, and posted my review a few weeks ago (when I decided I'd ask Jody a few questions...)
Welcome to my blog, Jody, and thanks for stopping by! Give
us a brief bio and tell us what kind of books you like to read and write.
The simple stuff: I am wife, a mom, and a yoga
teacher. I spend the majority of my time with my son and I don’t really get out
much unless it is to play at the park or grocery shop.
Becoming a mother has changed almost every aspect
of my life, but it was also the catalyst to start writing again. (Something I
used to do when I was much younger.) I used to work all the time as a massage
therapist and yoga teacher. I ate, slept, worked, and traveled occasionally.
Now, I play silly games with my son during the day and create worlds at night.
I write paranormal but I think the paranormal
genre chose me. For as long as I can remember I’ve been fascinated with the
paranormal and the supernatural. I also enjoy reading paranormal genres, but I
also really have a really sweet spot for historical fiction.
What's
your favorite part of being an author?
It’s the
total freedom of expression. For me, there is nothing else like finding that
perfect combination of words to describe someone or something. I really love every
part of writing.
What’s
your approach to writing? Do you plot or go with the flow?
Honestly, I am somewhere in the middle. I plot,
and then I often find that my characters have a different plan and change
things on me. The characters usually have it right and then I begin plotting
again.
If
you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Oh, this question is hard. There are so many good
answers, like being able to know someone’s true character — but that would have
too many downfalls. So, today, I think I choose the ability to shapeshift into
a raven. That sounds pretty cool right
now.
Tell
us about your debut novel, DEATH LIES BETWEEN US
Death Lies Between us is the first novel of the
series, An Angel Falls. When you get
down to its core, it’s really about falling in love with someone despite all
obstacles. Death Lies Between Us
touches on a lot of other powerful subjects like the love of family, drug and
alcohol addiction, misplaced spirits, and of course, angels and the afterlife.
The
book is full of Native American lore and herbology. Are these things you’ve
studied?
Studying herbal medicine has been a long time
passion of mine. It is very satisfying to me, knowing that nature provides
everything you need to be healthy. For fun I make salves, tinctures, lip balm, body
cream, and soaps. I like to enlist my friends and family for experimentation.
For the most part, they put up with me. As for the Native American lore and
spirituality, most of my writing inspiration comes from my husband, who is
Native American, or from his extensive collection of books. More often than
not, my writing is the complete effort and occupation of my imagination.
Okay,
if you’re casting the movie of your book, who would play the main characters?
I have never seen an actress that I think would
make a good Juliana. Zac Efron’s eyes and hair remind me of Nathaniel’s. Jared
is definitely a figment of my imagination that cannot be rivaled by any one
actor, but he is super cute and has the whole package working for him.
Where
can readers find your book and where can you be found on the web?
To find out more about Death Lies Between Us, you
can click here: Amazon
About the Book:
Saving
the life of someone you love should not be the worst thing you have ever done,
unless you are an Angel of Death.
Disgruntled
with his position in the afterlife and conflicted by his feelings toward his
new client, Nathaniel Evans forgoes the rules and saves nineteen year old
Juliana Crowson from being hopelessly stuck in Forge Creek. This alters
Juliana’s destiny and she finds herself in a series of near death accidents.
In the
mountains of Colorado, Nathaniel comforts Juliana as she struggles to
understand her paranormal abilities while coping with her brother’s drug
addiction. When an ill-tempered Native American Shaman teaches her the
difference between ghosts and place memories, she decides she wants nothing to
do with the supernatural world. Too bad she doesn’t know that Nathaniel is part
of it.
Will fate
bring these two together, or has Nathaniel made the biggest mistake of his
afterlife?
About the Author:
Jody A.
Kessler enjoys writing paranormal novels and is a member of Pikes Peak
Writers. She is a yoga instructor,
Reiki Master, and a graduate from the Colorado Institute of Massage Therapy.
When she took an extended leave from her massage practice to stay at home with
her newborn she returned to her first true passion —writing. She spends most of
her time being a mother, writing, and teaching yoga, but also likes going to
concerts, hiking, practicing herbal medicine, and reading anything that catches
her interest. Jody lives in the mountains of Colorado with her family.
