Can
you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this
particular genre?
I am a mom of four who
lives at the Jersey Shore. I have always
wanted to be a writer, but it was favorite author from my high schools years,
Christopher Pike, who inspired me to write thrillers and paranormal novels for
young adults.
What
is it about the paranormal, in particular vampires or witches, that fascinates
you so much?
I am a practicing Wiccan, so the paranormal is part of my everyday
life. When I was writing Destiny and Destiny Unveiled, I used the knowledge
born from personal experience to add a little realism to the supernatural
aspects of the novel.
What
inspired you to write this book?
The original Destiny was inspired by a dream.
But it was my best friend and coven sister, Donna Brown, who inspired me to
write the sequel. There is actually a
new character named after her, and the book is dedicated to her.
Please
tell us about your latest release.
Destiny Unveiled is the second book is what
I hope will be a series of five novels. Gabriella meets her Aunt Donna for the
first time since her mother was killed. She begs Gabriella to help save her
catatonic daughter from the Dark Coven before they can unleash her powers. But
Donna isn’t telling Gabriella everything, and there is way more at stake than
just the life of her cousin.
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?
Sometimes, a name just comes to me, and I know
it’s the right one. It’s like the characters are naming themselves. But more
often, my characters are named after the people around me whose personalities
match the characteristics I want to portray.
Was
one of your characters more challenging to write than another?
The Destiny
series alternates view points between Gabriella and her boyfriend Darron. This
was necessary to be able to tell the story the way I wanted to, but I
definitely found it difficult to write from the perspective of a guy.
Is
there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
I love
writing about Gabriella’s best friend, Flora, because she is exactly like me.
She says all the wrong things at all the wrong times. But she adds an element
of comic relief to an otherwise serious story, which makes her fun to write
about.
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?
They usually develop on their
own. I have very little control over them. LOL
What
is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it,
without spoilers of course?
My favorite scene is the roof top ritual where
Gabriella and her friends face the Dark Coven.
What
is the most interesting thing you have physically done for book related
research purposes?
Once when I was writing a murder mystery in high school
(before the internet), I called a local electrician, and asked him if a certain
electrocution scene I was writing would really work. He told me, yes, but,
“Remember your number is on my caller ID if I hear of this happening at the
prom.”
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 alone?
They can be read stand alone, but it would
definitely be more exciting to read them in order. If you read Destiny Unveiled
first, it will contain major spoilers for the first book in the series which
will ruin some of the suspense.
Do
any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and
what are they?
Definitely Flora. She
looks like me and acts like me. She always puts her foot in her mouth, and she
never knows when to shut up.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do
you deal with it?
The only time I had
writers block was when I was pregnant, but I spent most of that time sleeping
anyway. Luckily, I won’t have to worry about that any more since I’m done
having kids. J
Do
you have any weird writing quirks or rituals?
I always write my first draft
like I’m still in the 90’s (which is when I was a teen). I have to force myself
to add in things like computers and cell phones when I go back and edit.
Do
you write in different genres?
In in
addition to paranormal, I also enjoy writing thrillers. I recently had another
novel published entitled, Phantom,
which is a modern day telling of the Phantom
of the Opera. I also hope to branch
out to adult novels sometime in the future.
Do
you find it difficult to write in multiple genres?
Not at all. I go with whatever
inspiration comes to me, and it’s more fun to mix things up a little.
When
did you consider yourself a writer?
I started calling myself a writer in first
grade when I wrote a picture book about two bunnies who got married.
What
are your guilty pleasures in life?
Right now, writing is my only guilty
pleasure. With four kids and a business, every free second I have is spent at
my keyboard. But there is nothing I love more, so I’m not complaining.
Other
than writing, what are some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?
I
love to read and spend time with my children, especially at the beach. I also
practice Reiki and my spiritual journey with Wicca and paganism is definitely
my main passion in life.
What
was the last amazing book you read?
Taking 1960 by Rosa Sophia. It’s an awesome paranormal mystery, written
by my editor.
Where
is your favorite place to read? Do you have a cozy corner or special reading
spot?
I love reading at the beach, especially in the off season when I’m the
only person there. It’s also my favorite place to write.
What
can readers expect next from you?
I am currently working on a fantasy novel
called Morrigan. Morrigan is a teenage witch who has been shuffled from one
foster home to another all her life. Now
she is about to discover she is a princess from the mystical land of TÃr Na
NÓg. The handsome werewolf Filtiarn guides her through countless perils to find
her mother, Ceridwyn, and grandmother, Hecate. Only together can they complete
the magical triad and save their world.
Where
can readers find you on the web?
Would
you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
Here
is an excerpt:
Darron was on the roof of a large building, elevated
dizzyingly high over the road below. Other skyscrapers bordered it, but it was
by far the largest building in the general area, standing several stories
higher than it's neighbors. The few cars that dotted the street below looked
like insects. Above him, the moon shone full, round, and red in the night sky.
It was an autumn moon, a blood moon. By the light of that moon, Darron was able
to see the practiced movements of six black-cloaked figures, who swayed to the
steady beat of an invisible drum. Their shapes were obscure in the pale light,
and it was impossible to determine if they were men or women because the dark,
hooded robes they wore hid their features from view.
There was an altar erected in the center of a circle
that was outlined in black charcoal. On that altar sat the normal tools of
ritual: a black tipped dagger, a silver chalice, an incense burner, and
multiple black candles. Darron owned similar items. They weren't frightening in
themselves. But the altar, like the people who lingered around it, was outlined
by a shimmering black aura. The vibrations they relayed were no less than evil.
Their presence made Darron shudder. He watched in horror, as a silent and
unwelcome spectator to the forbidden rights.
Four of the cloaked figures took up the elemental
corners, preparing to call the Guardians. The Guardians answered their call,
unable to ignore the summons because magick can't be divided into good and
evil. It's both because nature is both, harsh and devastating yet beautiful and
gentle as the need arises. It was just as easy for the dark witches to harness
the destructive forces of nature as it was for Darron and his coven to call
upon its life giving magick. Good or evil was in the heart of its master, not
in the magick that was wielded.
A fifth cloaked figure, the apparent leader of the
group, stood in the center of the circle with the dagger raised high above his
head. The sixth and final coven member groveled at the feet of the leader, his
head lowered in acquiescence. The hood of his cloak hid his face though he was
no more than a few feet away from Darron.
"Brother and sisters," the leader
proclaimed, his accented voice heavy with his foreboding presence.
"Tonight in the wake of the blood moon, we come together to bring a new
brother into our fold. He has completed the required tasks and proven himself
worthy to join us in our work."
"So mote it be!"
The four other cloaked figures cried out in perfect
unison. Their hands were raised to the sky in honor of the blood moon.
The leader picked up the chalice from the altar. He
followed the path of the circle to all of the elemental corners, stopping at
each of the robed coven members in turn. Each offered their willing hands to
their leader, palm outward. Each welcomed the point of the black edged dagger
as it dug into their open palms without so much as a gasp of pain. The high
priest cut a clean line down the centers of the palms of his disciples, and
they all squeezed their fingers against the open wound to allow the blood to
drip into the waiting chalice.
After collecting the offering from his followers,
the leader returned to the center of the circle and the waiting initiate. With
one quick motion, he sliced open his own palm. He held his hand over the cup,
letting his blood drip slowly into the chalice, until the wound miraculously
healed before Darron's startled eyes. When the chalice was full, he carried it
to the eager initiate who took the cup firmly into his hands and tilted it
towards his lips.
"As this blood makes you one with our flesh, so
your soul follows to become one with the darkness," the English voice
intoned.
As the initiate drained the last of the liquid in
the chalice, his hood fell away, revealing a blonde ponytail pulled back over a
pale white face, made even paler by the outline of bright red blood around his
lips. Darron watched in stunned, horrified silence as his own face turned to
meet his gaze. Eyes turned as black as coals stared back at Darron with a grim
smile of satisfaction.
"Rise Darron," the leader commanded. And
as he spoke, he lifted the hood from his head. Rise brother of the Dark
Coven."
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Gabriella and Darron thought their magickal battle was over when they defeated the evil warlock, Richard. When her Aunt Donna seeks Gabriella’s help in rescuing her catatonic daughter from the Dark Coven, Gabriella discovers that her cousin holds a power within her that would be catastrophic in the hands of the evil witches.
Gabriella’s coven sets out on a journey that may be their last. Along the way, they meet new allies, face devastating treachery, and battle not only the Dark Coven, but the darkness within themselves.
When Gabriella finally comes face to face with the cousin she never knew existed, her true destiny is unveiled, and the fate of the mortal world is in her hands.
Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children.
She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart.
In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama.
She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years.
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