Gerilyn Marin
Paranormal/Fantasy
Enjoy this week's guest author! She's sticking around all week to chat with you so do leave her a question or comment. Her book is on sale this week - a great price to grab your copy of her book.
Deanna: Gerilyn, welcome to out chat with my readers. Tell us a bit about yourself.
Gerilyn: Deanna, thank you for having me! I recently became a vegetarian (though I will
indulge in seafood on special occasions).
Even
though I am pagan by choice (have been since about the age of 17)), but I was
raised Roman Catholic, and was pretty active in my parents' church as a child;
I performed on stage to raise money for children's charities 'til I was about
16.
When
I was 16, Brandon Lee died filming the iconic, comic book-based movie The Crow.
Unlike a lot of other people my age at that time, I was familiar with him, and
a fan of his, before he took on the role of Eric Draven. The moment I learned
of his death—I remember it crystal clear—I stood, walked down two flights of
stairs to my bedroom, changed into all black . . . and have kept that as a
staple of my wardrobe to this day. Occasionally I wear colors, but that's
usually a sign that I'm not in the mood to be out of the house.
Deanna: Wow, that's definitely a change to make for a fan. For an evening out, would it be dinner or a
movie? What would the dinner be? What might the movie be?
Gerilyn: Ideally, it would be both. With four kids, my
husband and I don't get out much, so if we have to pick one, it'll usually be
dinner, since it allows for 'us time'. I'm very low-key, very no-fuss, so when
we do get to go out to eat, it's simple, Applebee's, Red Lobster, or a local
dinner. If it was a movie, what I'd want to see would be along the lines of The
Conjuring. I love supernatural, non-gory horror movies. But they have to be
extremely spooky, they have to make me want to look over my shoulder to be sure
there's no dark, looming apparition behind me or they bore me.
But,
I'd have to drag my husband into the theater. My movies are not his cup of tea.
Deanna: But the right frame of mind for an author! Do you prefer wine, whiskey, scotch, or ice
tea?
Gerilyn: I'm a whiskey girl, but I don't drink very
often at all. I was a jack & coke girl when I was younger. So I'd have to
say that most of the time, I'd probably opt for the iced tea.
Deanna: What do you do to relax when you aren’t
writing?
Gerilyn: Relaxing for me usually involves things other
people wouldn't consider relaxing. I comb through Netflix for spooky Asian
supernatural horror films, watch shows like Paranormal Witness (I actually
prefer true ghost stories). I am also a gamer, I my favorites are Dragon Age (Origins
& II) and Silent Hill 3.
Deanna: Do you have to split your writing time
between a day job?
Gerilyn: Technically, yes. I don't have a 'day job',
but I'm a stay home mom of 4 (the youngest is 18 months, the oldest 14 years),
so there is a lot of time when I get no writing done, no matter how I want to,
or try, because I've been covered in children all day. Can't wait for summer
break to be over.
Deanna: Enjoy these times, they grow too fast. As authors, we’ve sometimes been accused of
being several people. How many personalities live in your mind?
Gerilyn: Wow, um, probably depends on which stories
I'm working on at a given time. Sometimes I have more muses than I know what to
do with, other times I may as well have tumbleweeds blowin' around up there.
Deanna: How many plots do you include in one of your
books?
Gerilyn: Several. There are the smaller,
character-based issues, relationship issues, and then something larger that's
brewing beneath all that which affects, or at least has ties in some fashion,
to all of the characters, even if the outcome only ends up affecting a few.
Deanna: Readers love to know how writers spend their
day. Tell us about a typical day in your life as a writer.
Gerilyn: During the summer, there's actually not much
to my day that as a writer, what with all the kids home from school, but a
typical, when-school's-in-session day, I get up at 5:30, get my husband out the
door work, have my coffee, about an hour later, I wake up the boys and get them
out to school. That leaves Jenessa (the 18 month old) home. She's such a good
baby, she'll sit and tap away on her baby laptop while mommy's on the computer.
I'll usually spend an hour or two either reading what I've got so far on the
piece I'm working on, or watching something that will spark the spooky
creativity. I'll write, or work on plot 'til it's time to pick up the boys in
the afternoon, and from there, I kind of consider trying to get anything else
creative done that day a lost cause. I'm just happy to have any time to myself.
Deanna: What one thing would you pass on to new
writers?
Gerilyn: Keep writing. That's kind of it. Just keep
writing, and don't listen to anyone who tells you that you can't do it.
Deanna: I totally agree with that. If you can envision it, it can happen...so never stop thinking of what you want to accomplish. Do your books have a common theme or are they
all different?
Gerilyn: Not intentionally, but if I look at Buried,
and my works in progress, and planned future works, I can't help but notice
that they all make use of the very simple, but always intriguing, idea that
nothing is ever what it seems.
Deanna: What are the physical characteristics that
you admire in a man?
Gerilyn: Height, definitely. But then, according to my
husband, most people are 'tall' to me, 'cause I'm kinda little. Tans, I find
more exotic skin tones very appealing. And I'm definitely a sucker for long
hair, and prefer a man who can rock a mustache-and-goatee.
Deanna: Tell us about your latest book and the type
of reader it may appeal to.
Gerilyn: Buried is a YA urban fantasy/paranormal
romance. It takes place in this town on the Northeast coast that is, for lack
of a better term, haunted. Problem is no one knows why it's haunted, because
they can't remember what made the town this way. The main characters, Cadence
and Grey, dig into the mystery of the town's past to try to 'fix' things, and
rid Grey of a rather large skeleton in his family's closet.
Deanna: Tell us about Grey, the hero of your latest
book.
Gerilyn: Grey is, in a word, adorable. He does have a
pretty good sense of humor, and he's very protective of those close to him, but
he doesn't easily trust other people.
Deanna: Tell us about Cadence, the heroine of your
latest book.
Gerilyn: Snarky is the first thing that comes to mind
about Cadence. She's psychic, so by nature, she's a bit more exposed to the
occurrences in the town than the other residents, so she's learned to shield
herself with humor and sarcasm. She doesn't realize it, but she sort of keeps
people, even those she thinks are close to her, at arm's length.
Deanna: Do you write in more than one genre?
Gerilyn: Not at the moment, I really only enjoy
paranormal and urban fantasy myself, so it's all I find myself writing. I do
have some ideas for science fiction stories in the future, but that's going to
require a lot of research, I think.
Deanna: As a paranormal romance author, do you feel
the paranormal is real? That there is more to our world than we can see and
touch?
Gerilyn: Absolutely.
I've had experiences myself, and heard plenty from those I would consider
reliable sources about things they've experienced. I think everyone has had
that moment when you feel like someone is standing right behind you, but you
turn quickly and no one is there. I just don't think I can believe that 'we'
are all there is.
Deanna: The paranormal is real and we are NOT alone! LOL Would you ever write a book that did not have
any romance in it?
Gerilyn: I could write a book without romance, but I
don't think I would, 'cause I don't think I'd ever want to. Life isn't much fun
without romance . . . or the supernatural.
Blurb:
Cadence McKenna knows
her town is, well, odd. And yet, residents are accustomed to the near-daily
supernatural happenings. When Gray Addison moves to Fane's Cove and stays, she
is shocked to find that she's the only one who believes there must be something
strange about him. With her life-long - if minor - psychic sensitivity, she
knows that what she feels isn't simple paranoia. After all, how many normal
guys pay no mind to poltergeist activity occurring right in front of them? Cadence can't dismiss her feelings until she
understands why he's in Fane's Cove. Even if it means sticking her neck out by
getting close to him... and learning more about her town's history than anyone
would ever want to know.
Excerpt:
"You
want us to skulk around the school in the dead of night on Halloween?"
Yeah, like schools weren't creepy enough after sundown, already. "Most of
the rooms will be locked. How are we going to do that?"
"I
might know how to pick locks."
I
turn my head very slowly to look at him. "Should I even ask why?"
"Probably
better that you don't." He's determinedly keeping his eyes on the road.
I
really want to know, but I suppose it's not important right now. "All
right, then."
"So,"
he says after making an obvious effort to let go of some tension I haven't
realized he's been holding. "Wanna be my date for the Halloween Dance,
then?"
I
snort, talking before I can stop my lips from moving. "Why don't you just
go with Sarah?"
Cringing,
I clamp my lips shut. My tone had been totally spurned-girl. There's no way he missed that, and even if he did,
I'm pretty sure my reaction to my own slip-up speaks volumes.
Sure
enough, I look over to find him smirking.
"I'm
sorry, who's jealous?" He asks.
"I
am . . . not jealous." I try to
think of something else to say, but nothing comes to mind.
"You
so are."
"Pfft, whatev. I don't even like you,
remember?"
Suddenly,
he hits the brakes, stopping in the middle of the road. I watch in complete
surprise as he looks around, checking if any cars are coming.
The
moment Grey turns to face me, he reaches out quickly, cupping the back of my
head, and pulls me close.
I'm
so shocked, that before I can register what's happening, he's kissing me.
His
lips are soft, and warm . . . and he smells good. I can't stop myself from
kissing him back. The tip of his tongue strokes across my bottom lip, and I
give in, feeling the sweet, tingling sensation of his breath rushing into my
mouth.
But
just as his tongue slips between my lips, the angry blare of a car horn sounds
behind us.
He
pulls back, pressing his forehead to mine for just a second and whispering,
"Whoops," before he slips away entirely and puts the Jeep into drive
again.
I
slump in my seat, reminding myself to breathe, and letting the heat that's just
flooded my face cool.
"You
always let yourself get kissed by guys you don't like?"
"Never,"
I say as soon as my voice starts working.
"There
ya go," he says with a laugh.
"Fine,
you proved your point. I don't not
like you."
"Do
you always have to be so difficult?"
I
shrug and force a syrupy smile. "It's part of my charm."
The
eBook is on sale
from 7/15-7/21 for $0.99
Bio:
Gerilyn Marin is a
self-proclaimed gothic tree-hugger, currently residing in the same small town
where she grew up with her husband & 4 children. She is fascinated by
paranormal phenomena & ancient cultures, and has received several awards
and nominations for her writing. When not tapping away at the keyboard, or
being yelled for by small people, Gerilyn spends time shying away from the sun,
staring dreamily at pictures of supposedly haunted houses and deciding what
color she'll next use to torture her hair.
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