Tuesday, November 11, 2014

My Demonic Ghost blog tour - Interview & Giveaway



Book Info-
Title- My Demonic Ghost: Banished Spirits
Series-My Demonic Ghost Book #1
By- Jacinta Maree
Genre- YA Paranormal/Ghosts
Published By- Staccato Publishing
Links-

Blurb-
Rachael has traveled to Whitehaven to visit her father, a trek she can not help but dread given his recent descent into madness. Upon her arrival she realizes his deterioration has not only been mental, it’s been physical as well. His death comes as no surprise, but what she discovers soon after, is shocking when his burden becomes hers.
Lock is a banished spirit who must attach himself to a human host in order to hide from those who would drag him back to hell to be destroyed. When he meets Rachael he finds more than a host, he finds an ally.
Together they must defeat each of the seven sins in order to guarantee Lock's safe passage into the Third Realm, a loophole in creation that would allow him to escape hell and have peace at long last. Through their unlikely friendship, other banished spirits flock to them in hopes of a peace they hadn't dreamt possible.




Book Info-
Title- My Demonic Ghost: The Reapers
Series- My Demonic Ghost # 2
By- Jacinta Maree
Genre- YA Paranormal/Ghosts
Published By- Staccato Publishing
Links-

Blurb-
The day you die is meant to be the end, but for 18 year old Jordon Hastings, his death was only the beginning.
In a dark and twisted world, lost spirits known as Reapers remain behind after death to help collect the spirits from the realm of the living. A new Reaper, Jordon struggles to accept his fate and lingers in the shadows of his mortal life. But when a demon wolf starts to live through his shadow, hunting his family and friends Jordon has no choice but to leave. As soon as he accepts his new role the truth behind the relationship between Reapers and Angelic Hunters is revealed. His loyalty is tested, making him choose between a corrupted God and a single Banished Spirit.

INTERVIEW

Welcome back to Worlds of Wonderment Jacinta!

Thank you, always so happy to be here.

How would you describe your My Demonic Ghost series to potential new readers?

I like to think that My Demonic Ghost is a unique telling of a classic demon vs angel story, it is open age so anyone can enjoy it and it’s an exciting mix between adventure, fear and romance. My Demonic Ghost follows the stories of three different spirits and one very unfortunate host, Rachael who is currently 15 years old in book one. Each book is written following the perspective of a different class, first we have Banished, then the Reapers and lastly we have the Hunters. It was really fun to write because each story has a completely different belief and different understanding of the other classes and the world around them, allowing the reader a fresh outlook with each book.

Does Hunters differ from the previous MDG books at all?

Book three: Hunters & Creators swings back to Rachael’s POV where she's entering her University life in a completely different setting from Whitehaven. Unlike Book one and two where we watch from the Demon’s side, this time Rachael chooses to help the angels and therefore opens up a completely different set of problems. Friends become enemies and enemies become friends, it completely turns the series on its own head. All of the characters are more mature and seeing as this is the last book, all of the unresolved problems and broken relationships have to come to a conclusion.

Banished, Reapers and Hunters & Creators are very a unique concept, how did you come up with the initial idea?

Well, the initial idea for the entire series came to me when I was in high school studying in my Philosophy class. My teacher was teaching us about Descartes and his theory of consciousness, which got my mind spinning up all these different possibilities about the unknown. The way I’ve broken up by the series in three books came to me as I wrote. Originally, Banished Spirits was on its own for a very long time before The Reapers had even started. Which made it increasingly difficult to interweave Reapers through Banished later on.

Did you find one book harder to write than another?

The Reapers was definitely the hardest book I had to write out of three. Mainly because I was speaking from a POV I never really practise, which is Jordon an 18 year old male turned Reaper. Secondly, I had to write Reapers in a way that it made sense as a stand-alone, but also worked as part of a series. Thirdly, Reapers’ timeline works before, during and after the first book, so timing scenes and character reappearances were incredibly difficult.
Banished Spirits was my initial inspiration outbreak and I didn’t have any plans for publication, so time limitations and other publication related stresses weren’t a concern. Hunters & Creators was stressful as I had to tie a very complicated story with complicated relationships together within a certain time frame and in a believable manner.

Evan (Lock) and Jordon didn't have the best home life, do you think it helped shape their characters as Banished and Reaper?

I think it is very important to see Evan’s/Lock’s life growing up, as it gives his reactions, his issues with trust and yearning to be accepted an even greater depth and understanding. We were lucky to not only be able to watch his childhood but to also see how that affects how he treats others and how he views himself. Along with the bad, there’s also the good with Locks’ and Rachael’s budding romance that transforms him away from his arrogance and selfish personality and into a loving and strong character. It’s also great to watch a character that was originally so small, weak and invisible have such an amazing impact on others in a positive way. Same with Jordon, his undying devotion to protect his brother spreads out to such an impressive scale that all creatures and spirits alike flock to his cause. Jordon’s love towards his brother becomes a beacon for others.

Hunters is your third book published, what have you learned about writing over the last few years?

I’ve learnt that there is a lot of work to do beyond publishing, like marketing and tours and give aways. Writing and publishing is just the beginning, I didn’t realise the amount of constant work that followed the publication. Not that I’m complaining, I love it. As I’m with Staccato Publishing, I am very fortunate as to have other authors around willing to help me. I’m still experimenting with finding my voice, so with every book I write my writing style changes a little bit.

Did you receive any advice in the beginning that has helped you write your books?

My first book was written purely for my own entertainment, and no one had read it until I decided to get it professionally edited. When it came to writing, I always wrote my own way and in my own style. Sure, my teachers taught me the basics of the English structure, but no one taught me how to write a story. I found my own way.

Is there anything you are currently working on that you can share with us?

I would love to, at this very moment I am writing a fantasy short story with a group of other amazing authors. I’ve also just finished my manuscript for a dystopian supernatural I’ve called Soulless, which revolves around a future where reincarnation exists. I’ve got a steampunk supernatural as well, called Time Weaver, which revolves around the idea of exchanging wishes for time. I’ve been quite busy.

Are there any other genres you'd like to write? If so, why?

I’m a big supernatural fan, but I also love dystopian and fantasy. I think the only genre I am yet to write properly would be horror. My long nights of horror movie marathons has definitely been great research, and I really think I would be able to write something incredibly scary.

Was there a reason you chose to write YA or was it just the way the story progressed?

Originally I wrote YA because of the character’s ages. Both were young and Lock was based off the character Casper the Friendly Ghost and Peter Pan, which are very playful, innocent and has a small hint of naivete. At the beginning of the novel I was tempted to change the characters and age them into young adulthood, but I feel that if I did that I would’ve lost a lot. I love the contrast between them and the world they live in. They are young and innocent but the world is dark and corrupted.

If any of your novels were picked up, what type of platform would you like them to be expanded on? E.g. movies, anime, games.

Umm… definitely a gaming platform. I’m a massive gamer so if any of my books were to be turned into games, I think I would pass out from my constant, high speech squealing. Alternatively, I’m a lover of animations, so even if it was turned into an animation movie like Monsters Inc, I would be very, very happy.

Favourite movie?

My favourite movie so far has been How to Train your Dragon. It’s a toss-up between movie 1 and 2.

Favourite book?

I loved the assassin series by Brent Weeks, so incredible.

Favourite holiday destination?

Hands down, Japan. I don’t know what it is but I love everything about their culture and life style.

Ice cream or chocolate?

Chocolate, of course. Chocolate would be my answer to really any food question.


About the Author-
Self confessed chocaholic, Jacinta was born and raised in Melbourne Australia with her loving family of five. Even as a child Jacinta had an itch to write. Writing was the one constant hobby she clung to, also trying her hand at piano, flute, tennis, horseback riding and drama.

Jacinta works full time in the family business and spends her afternoons either playing basketball, reading, writing or hanging out with friends. She is always happy to try something new; getting her real estate license, practicing ninjitshu, Zumba and parkour to name a few.

For her future, Jacinta sees herself writing. It is a large part of her identity and something she hopes to continue. Aside from her love of stories she loves Japan and its unique and beautiful culture and history. From their delicious sushi dishes right down to their wooden sandals and kimonos. She is also a huge cat person and loves to snuggle up in front of the fire for a good movie or book. Her favorite genres are paranormal and fantasy but she also loves anything written by thriller writer, Stephen King.

Social Media Links-

Giveaway Info-
1 hard copy My Demonic Ghost book 1
1 hard copy My demonic ghost book 2.
$5 amazon gift card.
A Key chain and magnet.

a Rafflecopter giveaway