New Release from Jody A. Kessler – Blog Tour & Giveaway! Both novels in this award-winning series will be on sale for only .99 cents for a limited time.
Author Interview
- Woohoo! You are a published author. Describe a strong character trait you possess, good or bad, and how it helped you become a published author. I’ve always been able to play devil’s advocate. I find it interesting that people in any given situation can usually defend their actions whether they are right or wrong. I’m very curious and sympathetic toward people of every age, gender, race and I find that most human beings are fascinating. My sympathy and empathy for people has given me a very broad perspective when making up new characters. I love putting myself in other people’s shoes and imagining what their motivations are. I’m also an extremely detail oriented person. If I’m immersed in a project, job, or hobby, I have to know everything about it. I love to study and learn about new things. These personality traits and hopefully many others help me craft detailed plots, scenes, and intriguing, relatable characters. I also have a great sense of humor and I like to say surprising things. I hope this comes across well in my fiction.
- Sometimes an author begins writing a story before they are aware of its genre. Did you choose your genre, or did it choose you? No doubt about it, paranormal chose me. When I first started writing this series, my main character – an angel of death named Nathaniel – came to me when I was half asleep and lying in bed. That’s where it started and four books later, I am now writing a short story about a family of witches.
- The plot thickens, or does it? Which one are you, a pantser or a plotter?Overall, I’d say I’m a plotter. I’ve written novels from the seat of my pants and I’ve outlined other novels from start to finish. I like to let the story guide me and if I can visualize the entire plot ahead of time, then I’ll write it down so I don’t forget it. But, I’m also a yoga teacher and one of the basic lessons in Hatha yoga is staying flexible, not just physically, but also mentally. One of the greatest thrills in writing fiction is when one of my characters surprises me and does or says something totally unexpected and fantastic. Then I go with the new twist or turn and see where it leads.
- Fear 101: As writers it is our duty to make our characters face their fears. Have you ever included one of your own fears in a storyline? I write about losing the people you love most in the world. So, yes, I definitely write about my own personal fears. Besides writing about the great unknown of life after death, I also write about the more immediate apprehensions and struggles in daily life. In Angel Dreams, my main characters face some brutal realities like suicide, drug abuse, and what it’s like to be suddenly forgotten by the love of your life. Juliana conquers enormous personal hurdles and then she helps others do the same. Fiction is inventive, but there are grains of truth hidden in the lies. I think for most authors, the writing is always very personal on some level.
- Fear 102: Yes, deadlines are terrifying. Have you conquered the juggling act between writing and the rest of your life? What do you do when it feels like the balls are dropping all around you? Another yoga lesson is balance — this may be a life lesson in general — but I use it in my classes. Balance is the key to staying sane and not letting one aspect of your life take control. Sometimes I succeed in finding a healthy balance between family, work, recreation, and the daily business of life and other times I don’t. Organizational skills are a weak point for me. I have to continually work at it so my life doesn’t turn into total chaos while I continue to stare at my computer screen – something I can easily do for months at time. Honestly, I probably need to hire a professional for advice on time management and how to keep my house respectable, but in the meantime, I try to remember to stay balanced.
- Switch positions with one of your main characters in a scene. What is the outcome, disaster or divine intervention? At the beginning of Angel Dreams, Juliana makes a hasty decision to help an innocent girl that she sees in the forest. The girl is moaning and being carried away by a man that scares Juliana, but she thinks she recognizes the teen-aged girl and follows them anyway. If I could switch places with Juliana at this moment and avoid the whole terrifying blood-letting ritual in the forest with a warlock and demons, then Juliana and Nathaniel could have had a sweet young romance instead of a supernatural adventure.
- Where is your favorite place to write? Add that one comfort food that you can’t do without. I can write anywhere there isn’t distraction. So basically I don’t have a favorite spot. Distractions are everywhere — family, pets, phone, internet, they all keep me from getting into the writing zone. Late at night after everyone is asleep is when I am the most productive. Comfort food: Whatever my current favorite hot beverage is – usually coffee or tea. And I admit, I love chocolate and have a stash in the kitchen cabinet.
- Writing inspirations? I find inspiration from other authors all the time. A gorgeous phrase, metaphor, or paragraph can spark my imagination and get me writing. I also listen to a lot of music.
- You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them? I seriously couldn’t pick only one and since you didn’t specify whether the author had to be alive, here is a list of a few favorites: Henry David Thoreau, Edgar Allan Poe, Sylvia Plath, Diana Gabaldon, and Charles Frazier. I have two questions for them: What are five of your all time favorite books? What would you tell your younger self about pursuing a writing career?
- I’ve gone mad – why don’t you come with me? Some people just don’t understand us writers. Name a quirky, writer-thing you do that friends wish you didn’t. There have been times when I have made plans to go out, or run errands in town, and then at the last minute when everyone is ready to go, I’ll ask my husband if he minds going alone so I can stay home and write. The look he gives me in those moments is precious to say the least. Other than that, I have to wonder if my friends get tired of me talking about my books. If you’re a friend of mine reading this right now, leave a comment so I know what weird thing I’m doing and not aware of. Go ahead and be candid about it, that way I can use it in a future book! *wink*
Available in Paperback & Ebook on Amazon
Supernatural boundaries will be crossed as Angel of Death, Nathaniel Evans, risks his eternal soul to save the one he loves, the paranormally gifted and nature-loving, Juliana Crowson.
While working with a new client, Nathaniel finds out that pissing off a demon-wielding warlock in order to help a suicidal teen with misplaced sexual tendencies may be the last thing he ever does as an angel. Unable to stand aside, Juliana’s involvement in Nathaniel’s new case quickly develops into a misadventure with gun-toting bikers, table dancing, and a shamanic exorcism performed by her temperamental Native American friend, Chris Abeyta.
Can Nathaniel and Juliana’s love endure blood-letting rituals in the forest while helping a terrified teen find the will to live, or will fate and the rules of the afterlife tear them eternally apart?
Read an Excerpt from the Novel
The melting butter sensation had made its way to my back and is creeping north and south simultaneously. In another minute I’m going to be a warm puddle. “An Irish Dullahan is a being that comes at night, he’s headless, and forewarns of death.”
“Ah, maybe that is what I used to be, but definitely not anymore.”
His velvet rich voice caresses me from the inside out. I can feel his strength pulsing through his fingertips as he strokes my palm. His clean scent lingers in the air and I let myself drift away with the symphony of sensation.
“Sweet vixen, are you all right?”
“Hmmm?”
“Are you falling asleep?”
“No, why?”
“Your eyes are closed, love.”
“It’s fine. Please don’t stop, Nathaniel.” There it is again, a part of my brain notes, speaking without my permission.
He raises my hand to his lips and kisses the heel of my palm, then the inside of my wrist and up my forearm to the inside of my elbow. The top of my shoulder becomes his next destination and then along the edge of my collarbone. I want to protest — remember, taking things slow — but the jelly which my insides have turned into must include my voice box because recognizable sounds are no longer possible. Feather soft tickling on the side of my neck leaves me breathless, and all reason has now left the building. Somehow my hands have joined my betraying mouth and are doing things without my consent, like they have a separate mind of their own, even though I can still feel what they feel. Strong cords run up the back of his neck. The thick waves of his hair are soft and scrumptious between my fingers. My hand wraps around the base of his skull as he teases the underside of my jaw with his too warm mouth. My other hand moves over his muscular shoulder and down his back. He’s so strong and so solid.
At some point I must have pulled him on top of me because I’m suddenly aware of the smell and feel of crushed grass beneath me. My ear is being nibbled and I can hardly breathe, not because of the weight of him, but because of the sheer excitement and the rush of blood pounding through me. It’s taken my breath away. Turning my face to find his mouth, he’s all too agreeable to meet me. My self-control has become as distant as yesterday’s breeze.
“You have the most kissable mouth I’ve ever seen,” he whispers and then proceeds to prove his statement.
Nathaniel is strong and gentle and urgent and tender. I send out a silent prayer to Father Time to let this perfect moment last forever. How did I not know kissing could be like this?
About the Author
When Jody isn’t navigating the terrain of her imagination and writing it down, she can be found exploring the wilderness of Colorado with her family, or in the kitchen baking 
cookies & brownies – and then trying not to eat them all. She’s passionate about continuing to learn and reads anything and everything that catches her interest. Jody is a full time mom, a Reiki Master, and has taught Hatha yoga for over a decade.
Jody’s debut novel, Death Lies Between Us, is the winner of RomCon’s Readers’ Crown award for best Paranormal Romance in 2014. She is currently working on a historical time travel series set in Montana in the 1860’s. The first book in the series, The Night Medicine, will be published in March 2015.
Jody A. Kessler invites you to visit with her at: www.JodyAKessler.com, or on Facebook & Twitter
For a chance to win a $10 amazon gift card or a signed paperback of the Death Lies Between Us (An Angel Falls, #1) please enter the rafflecopter!
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To see a complete list of tour stops, please click here: http://jodyakessler.com/newsevents/
The post looks fantastic! Thank you again for having me!!
It’s always a pleasure to have you here Jody! Here’s wishing you many sales:)
quirky thing you do while writing…it’s in the kitchen, go find it
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Great post! I really enjoyed reading the excerpt and the interview. This book sounds like such an interesting and intriguing read! I will totally have to add it to my “to-read” list.