BETWEEN, Clarissa's new book releasing in December at Musa Publishing looks like a good read. The blurb at the end of her blog got my attention. Definitely on my list to check out!!!!
In the meantime, here's a great blog she's written!
WRITING THE PARANORMAL
By Clarissa Johal
People often ask me how I began writing in the genre of
paranormal. I’m not brooding or scary or running off to join the latest séance,
which I think is what they expect. And my silly sense of humor oftentimes gets
me into trouble, especially with my two daughters.
The topic of paranormal has always interested me because I
moved around so much as a kid. It seemed we were always living in an older
place and with those older places, came a ghost or two. Now, before you chuckle
and roll your eyes (or not) let me tell you, I walk the line between skeptic
and 100% believer. On the surface, I may be rolling my eyes with you, but
inside, I believe in a plethora of things I won’t even begin to discuss until
I’ve known someone a very long time. I know what I’ve experienced, and I know
what my rational mind tells me. Believe me, there’s a lot of arguing in my head
over those two things. We are a collection of what we’ve experienced in our
lifetime, and since I’m as old as the hills, I’ve experienced plenty.
When I was 10-years-old, we moved to an island and lived for
several months in a 30-year-old house. I’m an insomniac and have been since I
was a kid. Consequently, being awake while the rest of my family slept was
nothing new, though my mom would get quite irritated because I would roam the
house at night and wake her up. One evening, and after hours of tossing and
turning, I decided to stroll. While I sat on the couch trying to figure out
what to do with myself, I heard singing in my ear. It was as if a woman was
sitting right next to me singing, “Time in a Bottle.” I liked the song, it was
popular at the time (and yes, that dates me) but I didn’t know the words. At
that point, I did what any kid would do if they weren’t compelled to run away
screaming, I politely sat and listened until she finished. Afterwards, I went
back to bed and proceeded to have the worst nightmare. I dreamt that I walked
into our bathroom and found a naked, young woman wrapped up in a shower curtain
in our bathtub. She was blonde, had a bullet hole in her head, and was quite
dead. It was a graphic nightmare for a 10-year-old; I never watched television
and rarely had nightmares. I had it for weeks until we finally moved. Each
time, it became more intense—it had gotten to the point where she was clawing
her way out of the tub and trying to speak to me through the shower curtain.
Needless to say, I was a bit of a wreck by the time we moved. Years later, I
remember finding out from my parents that there was indeed, a murder at that
house. They didn’t elaborate, but I always wondered of the details. Parents,
tell your kids these things ahead of time, because if they ever experience
anything, they will always wonder.
I was 13-years-old when my parents took a house by the
ocean. They were able to rent it cheap and I was more than a little sad when we
moved a year later. It had a garden, a tree-house, a large yard to do
cartwheels in; everything a kid could want. It also had ghosts. I would lay
awake for hours and watch a white cat walk through my bedroom wall. Over and
over again. No explanation for that, it just was. I remember constantly seeing
an old lady out of the corner of my eye. She would follow me down the stairs to
the basement and back up again. She would follow me down the hallway to my
bedroom. Sometimes, I would see her sitting in my mom’s rocking chair in the
living room. I wasn’t afraid; she was just a presence I came to accept. It
wasn’t until we moved from that place that I overheard my parents discussing
the house and the fact they had both seen the shadow of an old lady there. They
thought it might have been the lady that died in the house before we bought
it. Well, that was news to me (and
unfortunately, taught me the joys of eavesdropping).
So, back to the genre of paranormal. I began writing fiction
when my kiddos were younger. While writing the second installment to my Pradee
series, I was interrupted by two characters that truly didn’t fit. I kept
setting them aside, but they would return, stronger than ever. Finally, I gave
up on my young adult title and began Between, a story of the paranormal. While
my young adult fantasy, took me ten years to complete, I had the rough draft of
Between finished in several months and a year after that, the full novel was
complete. Six weeks after I submitted, Musa Publishing offered me a contract.
The novel I’m working on now is also in the genre of
paranormal. I have to say, I’m hooked. I like the freedom of writing for adults
and I love presenting the paranormal in a new and interesting ways. Now, I know
what you’re probably going to ask me. Do I write of my experiences or make
stuff up? I’m a writer, I write fiction, and I know the difference between
fiction and real life. I have to, I have kids. However, the best fiction is
when writers “write what they know” and a little of what I know creeps into my
novels from time to time. I hope you will enjoy reading them.
Blurb:
Since Lucinda was a young girl, she's been able to see
spirits, a gift that didn't come without its problems. Now, a dedicated, young
veterinarian, she is committed to the idea that everything can be saved.
When Lucinda is involved in a car accident that kills her
fiancé, she is devastated and moves to a small town to live a life of
self-imposed exile. There, she meets a newcomer and feels an immediate
connection with him. However, there is another mysterious stranger to the small
town, one that stirs within her a mixture of unease and desire.
The spiritual activity around her intensifies as Lucinda is
increasingly haunted by memories of the accident. As she is drawn into a bitter
tug-a-war from the forces around her, she is likewise pulled into a dangerous
twist of past and present events. Forced to make difficult choices, she
surprisingly finds that the two men are locked in not only a battle for her
life...but a battle for their salvation.
Between will release under the Thalia imprint of Musa
Publishing on December 14, 2012.
Website http://clarissajohal.com/
1 comment:
Thanks for hosting me, Lizzie!
Post a Comment