GET YOUR THRILL ON

If Paranormal Dark Fantasy is at the top of your read preference then this terrific book from best-selling author Clarissa Johal is definitely for you. Here's a little to entice you.

It all began with an acorn.

There are some places you shouldn’t disturb, places where history lingers. When Rowan travels to England, she finds a remote village, hidden in the shadow of an ancient forest. Vague warnings from the local people aren’t enough to stop her from venturing into the trees, or from picking up a single acorn. It seemed a simple action. But when a stranger emerges from the forest claiming the acorn belongs to him, Rowan finds herself pulled into something both centuries old and deadly.



EXCERPT
Stars dotted an inky sky and the moon cut a path across the pastures like water. It would have been a beautiful night in other circumstances, one where she would have been happy to go for a midnight walk. But tonight, her senses were on edge and she startled at every sound. Rowan’s feet made sloshing sounds in the wet grass as she hurried towards the church.

The standing stone reflected the moonlight like a beacon. The churchyard beyond it appeared empty, its gravestones pointing like accusing fingers towards the sky. The silence was oppressive and she resisted the urge to whistle. She stole up the steps to the church itself, hoping the teens would be inside.

Pressing her ear against the door, she breathed the pungent scent of burnt wood. Hesitant, Rowan tried the handle. The door gave way and opened with a long, drawn-out creak.

A giggle sounded behind her.

Whipping around, her gaze swept the darkness. The sound was coming from the graveyard itself. A shiver trailed down her spine like icy fingers. “Hello?”

A low whisper drifted with the breeze, followed by another giggle.

“Fiona? Will? Jennifer, Jonathan? C’mon, you guys. Not funny.” She waited for the teens to show themselves. “I’m not going with you to the forest, by the way. I don’t think you should go either.” She walked to where the sound came from and steeled herself for a ‘gotcha’ moment.

Expecting to see the teens hiding behind a gravestone, she was surprised instead by scattered flowers, left like offerings. She picked one up and twirled it in her fingers. The flower’s petals reflected alabaster in the moonlight like finger bones. Freshly picked, the scent of the plucked stem was still strong. Rowan began to toss it aside when she was hit with an icy gust of wind. Her vision clouded and she felt a jarring shift in her surroundings.

She kicked up debris as her feet pounded the forest floor. The trees were a wild blur, as were the smells. The strong scent of greenery mixed with the scent of blood. Her blood. Heart pounding, she saw a bright spot in the distance. Escape. The bright spot grew larger and larger as she tore through the overgrowth towards it. Suddenly, she was jerked off her feet and dragged backward. A scream ripped her throat and everything went black. A sharp pain cut through her spine. Unable to move her arms and legs, she tried to take a breath. Panic welled in her throat like bile.

BUY LINKS
Amazon US

Amazon Canada

Amazon UK

Amazon Australia

Clarissa Johal is the bestselling author of paranormal novels, Whispers in the Wood, Poppy, The Island, Voices, Struck, and Between. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing, taking pictures of gargoyles, or swinging from a trapeze. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters, and every stray animal that darkens their doorstep.

Learn more about Clarissa Johal on her website and blog.

Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter,Pinterest, and Instagram. Clarissa is also on YouTube, Goodreads, and has an Amazon Author Page.

Welcome to the blog tour celebrating the 1 Year Anniversary of the release of Paranormal Gothic Horror Novel ~

STRUCK by Clarissa Johal  

Follow the tour (schedule posted below) to read new reviews, interviews with Clarissa, and exclusive excerpts.

"The shadows hadn't been waiting. The shadows had been invited."

BLURB
After a painful breakup, Gwynneth Reese moves in with her best friend and takes a job at a retirement home. She grows especially close to one resident, who dies alone the night of a terrific storm. On the way home from paying her last respects, Gwynneth is caught in another storm and is struck by lightning. She wakes in the hospital with a vague memory of being rescued by a mysterious stranger. Following her release from the hospital, the stranger visits her at will and offers Gwynneth a gift--one that will stay the hands of death. Gwynneth is uncertain whether Julian is a savior or something more sinister... for as he shares more and more of this gift, his price becomes more and more deadly.

EXCERPT
Gwynneth awoke what seemed like seconds later. The green glow from her digital alarm clock read one thirty-two in the morning. She had been asleep for several hours. She felt Seth roll over and slide his arm around her waist. His leg slid over her thigh. Well, this is awkward, she thought. And a little on the sexy side too. She contemplated going back to sleep. Like that would be easy now. She felt completely awake in more ways than one. Sighing, she decided to do the right thing and tell Seth he should go back to his own bed. She started to roll over and felt the hard press of buttons down the sensitive skin on her back, and right away, she knew it wasn’t Seth.

She leapt out of bed. “Jesus! Where’s Seth?”

“In his room,” Julian replied.

He was dressed in the same clothing she’d seen him in last, which made her feel only slightly better, considering that he had been pressed up against her only seconds ago. Gwynneth straightened her pajama top and pushed past him.

Seth lay sprawled across his own bed, snoring lightly. “He looks so peaceful,” Julian murmured in her ear.

She pushed him back into the living room, closing Seth’s door behind them. “Can he see you if he wakes up?” she whispered.

“No.”

That means I’m crazy, of course. Dammit. “I saw one of them in here, Julian. Those shadow things. I saw it. It went into Seth’s bedroom.”

A small frown creased his smooth brow. “You must have been imagining things, Gwynneth. Are you positive?”

“Yes.” She stared at him uncertainly. “You have to keep those things out of here.”

“You are asking for my help, then?”

Gwynneth hesitated. The question seemed to imply much more than it sounded.

“I need something from you in return,” Julian said quietly. He took her arms. “Just a small token. You won’t miss it.”

She pushed him away and took a step back. “I don’t understand.” She covered her face with her hands. “I’m going crazy. I must be. You’re a figment of my imagination. Forget it, Julian. Just go away.”

“Is that what you think I am?” He gently removed her hands from her face. “I’m not a figment of your imagination, Gwynneth. I assure you.”

She looked up at him. His face was so beautiful. Mesmerizing. She felt herself lean toward him without thinking.

“A small token.” His gloved thumb stroked her cheek hypnotically. “I can offer you so much in return. Let me show you.”

His storm-filled eyes made her feel like she was drowning. Before she could reply, Gwynneth was pulled into blackness.

Folding. Everything was folding in on them. The weight of the air pressed against her skin, crushing her. Beyond the air around her was something evil. Waiting. She could feel it. Poised to strike, it was ready to yank her from Julian’s grasp. She clung to Julian in fear, the blood pounding in her ears.

The weight was suddenly lifted, and they stood in the empty reception room of Homestead. “What was that—?” she began. ”Why are we here?”

“Trust me.” Julian held her as she gained her bearings again. “I will show you what it can be.”

“Nobody will die?”

“If you trust me.”

Perplexed, she allowed him to lead her down the hallway. They arrived at room 102—Mr. Allen’s room. Gwynneth liked Mr. Allen. Everyone liked Mr. Allen. Even his children came to visit him several times a week. There was always laughter and joy when he was in the room. She hated that his medication made him forget things from time to time, but most of the residents were on medication of some kind.

Mr. Allen sat on his bed, doing crosswords puzzles as he usually did. He was an insomniac, and she wasn’t surprised to see that he was awake at one thirty in the morning.

“He can’t see us either?” she whispered.

“No.” Julian stood behind her. His hands slid up her arms, and he nudged her forward. “Watch, Gwynneth.”

She watched, trepidation pricking at her insides. Something peeled itself from the wall and occupied space in the room. Something dark and filled with need.

“What is that?” she breathed. “Julian, you promised.” In a blink, it was beside Mr. Allen. The figure jerked and flickered, humanlike, but wrong. Its arms and legs were moving backwards against their joints, and its face morphed, but wouldn’t settle. It reached out with lightning speed and grabbed Mr. Allen by the shoulders.
“No!” she screamed.

Julian stopped her from lunging forward. His fingers dug painfully into her arms. “Tell it to go away, Gwynneth.” He pulled her back against his chest. “Stop it from taking his life. You can, you know.”

Her heart raced. Gwynneth felt like the air was being sucked from the room. Mr. Allen fell backwards onto his bed, and the figure crawled over him like an insect.

She lunged against Julian’s viselike grip. “Stop!”

The black figure immediately separated itself from Mr. Allen. In a blink, it was on them, and they fell backwards onto the floor. Icy cold washed over Gwynneth as the creature enveloped her body like a second skin. She was unable to catch her breath or think clearly.

“Enough!” Julian commanded.

It pulled away from them.

She gasped for air, but couldn’t seem to get enough into her lungs. This is what drowning feels like, she told herself. Or dying. She sensed the dark figure was barely containing itself from assaulting her again, and she could hear Julian mutter something. An incantation. The presence left as quickly as it came.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway, and Fenten burst into the room. “Mr. Allen? Shit.” He picked up the room phone and punched 9-1-1.

“Time to go now,” Julian murmured.

They were in her bedroom again, and she sagged against him, her energy drained. “What just happened?”

“A miracle.”

“I don’t believe in those. Am I hallucinating?”

“Perhaps. And now we must discuss our exchange.”

Publisher: Musa Publishing

http://www.musapublishing.com/

Cover Artist: Kelly Shorten

ISBN: 978-1-61937-690-8 

Number of Pages: 255

Price: $4.99

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Musa Publishing

Barnes and Noble

Clarissa Johal has worked as a veterinary assistant, zoo-keeper aide and vegetarian chef. Writing has always been her passion. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing or taking photographs of gargoyles. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray animal that darkens the doorstep. One day, she expects that a wayward troll will wander into her yard, but that hasn’t happened yet.

*Member of the Author's Guild

Coming May 19, 2015 from Permuted Press

VOICES, a paranormal psychological horror

STRUCK, a paranormal gothic horror

(2014) Musa Publishing

*Indie Book of the Day Award

*Nominated for the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2014

BETWEEN, a story of the paranormal

(2012) Musa Publishing

*Second place in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2012

*Paranormal Reads gives BETWEEN 4 out of 5 Bats

PRADEE, a young adult fantasy

(2010) CreateSpace

*Second round finalist in Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award Contest 2012

Short stories:

PIGEONS, published in the literary journal Susurrus

THE ROPE, published in the literary journal Susurrus

Non-Fiction:

A WAY OF LIFE, published in The Sacramento Bee

Find Clarissa Online:

Author Website
Amazon Author Page

Author Blog

Author Facebook Page

Twitter

Author Goodreads

Pinterest

Praise for STRUCK:

Lovely Reads

"This book grabs you in right away and hold your attention...I so loved this book and didn't put it down until the very end." Read More ~ Lovely Reads

Bex 'n' Books

"This is a spooky thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. You won't be able to put it down because you must finish it to see what happens, even if it keeps you up late at night to do so." Read More ~ Bex'n'Books 

Bibliophilic Book Blog

"STRUCK will get beneath your skin from the very beginning. Gwen’s a likable character with a difficult past and tenuous future after meeting Julian. I liked the secondary characters, especially Fenten and Poppy. The characters were definitely all well-developed and engaging." Read More ~ Bibliophilic Book Blog 

Straight from the Library

"The characters are well drawn and likable....The action is fast paced-- I read the book in one sitting." Read More ~ Straight from the Library 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

How did you come up with the idea for STRUCK?

Some stories begin as random scenes, some as characters, and some are born from asking the question, “What if?” I was hit with the idea of STRUCK while running on a forest trail near my house. It was during a thunderstorm and I wondered what it would be like to be hit by lightning. I write about ghosts and things that go bump in the night and in essence, those entities are energy. What if a portal was opened by a lightning strike? And what if that portal allowed the energy from those entities to escape? The idea was intriguing and I went to bed still thinking about it. That night, I dreamt I stood in a field, with lightning striking the ground all around me. But the lightning wasn’t just releasing electrical energy, the lightning was releasing negative entities from the Otherworld. I woke from the nightmare in a panic, thinking those entities had somehow attached themselves to me. And so a story is born.

I went on to research the effects of being struck by lightning, interviewed several lightning survivors, and began writing STRUCK. I’m continually amazed how a, “What if?” idea can expand into a novel.

What first inspired you to become a writer? And what compels you to continue your career as an author?

I wrote my first short story in grade six. I was asked by the teacher to read it aloud to the class, which terrified me. After I was finished, I realized that I actually had everyone’s attention! I was shy and we moved every year, so I was always the new kid. When you’re in that situation, it’s kind of like being invisible. Finding my voice through story-telling made me realize how powerful writing could be. As far as continuing—truthfully? I think I’d go nuts if I didn’t write.

What made you choose the genre of paranormal gothic horror?

I started out writing fantasy fiction. I was working on the second installment to my PRADEE series when there were two characters that kept showing up on the page, over and over. They didn’t belong in fantasy novel, nor did they belong in my story! But their backstory came to me so vividly, that I set aside my series and wrote my first paranormal novel, BETWEEN. I’ve been pulled into the Otherworld permanently now. The ideas come faster than I can write them down.

Tour Presented by:

Tour Schedule:

January 1: Tour Kick-Off http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/

January 2: Exclusive Excerpt http://ifeeltheneedtheneedtoread.com/

January 4: Review http://www.carolynspearromance.com/blog

January 5: Review HorrorMade.blogspot.com

January 7: Exclusive Excerpt http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/

January 9: Exclusive Excerpt http://aliciajoseph.com/

January 12: Review https://twitter.com/peach83352

January 15: Exclusive Excerpt http://darcnina.wordpress.com

January 17: Review http://mullenarmyfamily.blogspot.com/

January 19: Exclusive Excerpt http://sloanetaylor.blogspot.com/

January 20: Exclusive Excerpt http://www.babsbookbistro.net/

January 21: Interview http://ifeeltheneedtheneedtoread.com/

January 23: Exclusive Excerpt https://fillingspaces.wordpress.com/

January 26: Interview http://karengreco.blogspot.com/

January 28: Review http://neutiquamerro.wordpress.com

January 31: Reviews (by 3 different tour hosts)

1) http://ifeeltheneedtheneedtoread.com/

2) http://www.themoralofourstories.com

3) http://hello-booklover.tumblr.com/

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.

Clarissa Johal

BETWEEN Blurb:

How far would you go to redeem yourself?

As a young girl, Lucinda was 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 every life can be saved.

After a devastating accident, Lucinda tries to escape her past by moving to a small town. There, she meets a newcomer and feels an immediate connection with him. But there is another mysterious stranger to the small town, one that stirs within her a mixture of unease and desire.

As Lucinda 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 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.

Learn more about Clarissa Johal on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

I'll be back Wednesday with a new menu. Until then...

Happy Reading!

Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

Never Back Down from a Challenge

has always been my theory. Many times it can be foolish, but more often it's fun. So even though I teased her unmercifully, I was intrigued when my good friend Sharon Ledwith graciously tagged me with The Look Challenge.

Sharon is an amazing YA author and brilliant blogger. Her interesting and unique posts appear regularly on I Came. I Saw. I Wrote. Be sure to check it out.






Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are the only hope for our past.


The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis is Sharon's debut novel. To read an excerpt, please click HERE.





Sharon explained that The Look Challenge was simple and fun. All I had to do was find the word "look" in my work in progress and post the neighboring paragraphs. No sweat, I could knock that out in a matter of seconds. Wrong! It was not as easy as I thought.

After a click here and there, I discovered 109 “look” that were 108 too many. Back to the edits!

This is a bit from a book of mine Musa Publishing will release in January. The title is still to be determined.

David Stiefel’s eyes kept track of the copper-haired female while he rolled up the sleeves of his striped shirt. The woman was oblivious to the stir she created as she strolled through the crowded O’Hare Airport Business Class Lounge. He stroked an index finger over his lips and studied her sleek figure clad in formfitting slacks. The appealing rear view was too good to miss. The pleasure of not seeing a panty line forced him to shift in his chair to adjust the sudden pull in his jeans.

She bent over, hung her jacket across the chair back, and glanced over her shoulder at him. Their gaze held as a smile tweaked the corner of his mouth. He crumpled the wrappings from his beef sandwich and knew he had just been offered dessert. Now all he had to do was make his move.

As his good luck would have it, right there on the floor, just a few meters away was an airline ticket dropped by some unsuspecting person. He knew that delicious looking woman had done it as a ploy to meet him.

He stood and paced off the few steps, never taking his eyes from her. He stooped, scooped up the packet, and walked the few extra feet before he glanced at the name printed in bold marker across the front. When he held it toward her, she fumbled with her purse and carry-on as if she did not know she had lost such an important set of documents. Very cool.

Standing in front of her, he leaned down just enough to catch her scent. Shalimar. His favorite.

“Bitte, Frau, are you missing something?” He liked the way her eyes widened as if she were surprised. She was good.

Tagging time! My authors for The Look Challenge are:

Sarah Grimm is a romance author and writes everything from what reviewers call ‘page turning, edge of your seat suspense,’ to contemporary romance with a touch of suspense. Her books vary in heat levels. Some are sexy, a few are scorchers, but all have a happily-ever-after.

Vonnie Hughes writes Regency historicals and contemporary suspense. She loves the intricacies of the social rules of the Regency period and the far-ranging consequences of the Napoleonic Code. With suspense, she gives free rein to her forensic interests and strong convolutions of the human mind.

Clarissa Johal has done everything from working as a veterinary assistant and vegetarian chef to volunteering as a zoo-keeper aide and swimming with six foot sturgeons. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray animal that darkens the doorstep.

Holley Trent is a Carolina girl gone West. Raised in rural coastal North Carolina, she has Southern sensibilities but her adventurous spirit drove her to Colorado for new experiences. Holley writes romances with real-life humor and rural fantasy romances set in her home state.

Marie Tuhart is an erotic romance writer whose stories take you on an erotic fantasy within the modern world or into the paranormal realm. Her men are strong, alpha and sexy. Her women are feisty and sensual.








I'll be back Sunday with information on a HUGE Blog Hop. Until then...

TGIF!

Sloane Taylor