The Soul Thief by Majanka Verstraete Excerpt, Interview, Giveaway & Top Ten's

 

The Soul Thief (The Angel of Death Series #1)

by Majanka Verstraete

Publisher: Booktrope

Published: November 11, 2014

Genre: YA, Paranormal

 
 When sixteen-year-old Riley is injured in a car crash and sees a girl stealing a boy’s soul, she’s convinced she’s hallucinating. But when she sees the same girl at the hospital later, she knows she wasn’t dreaming. That’s when Riley learns her secret heritage and who she really is: a halfling Angel of Death. Riley must come to terms with her new reality and supernatural abilities, but before she can do this, girls her age start dying in mysterious circumstances. It’s up to Riley to figure out why, what the innocent victims have in common, and what she can do to stop them.

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Excerpt

  “Let’s vote,” the man who’d touched me proposed. “Who is in favor of executing the Halfling?” That was the moment when it actually fully hit me. They might execute me. Kill me. My knees gave way and if Diane hadn’t grabbed my arm just then, I would’ve fallen. “Stand up straight,” she hissed at me. “You’re an Angel, not a coward.” So I did, even though exhaustion swept over me as if I’d worked for seven days in a row without any sleep. Sweat dripped down my forehead and a fever wrapped itself around me. A lot of Council members raised their hands at the giant’s question. I started hyperventilating. “That’s more than half.” I gripped Diane’s arm with all my strength. If I hurt her, she didn’t let it show. A light blush rose on her cheeks though and she bit her lip as if she felt guilty but wanted to act tough. “It has been decided,” the leader-guy said. “She shall be executed.” Before I had time to faint, scream, or do something else dramatic, the silver-haired woman rose from her seat. Her hood slipped off, and my breath got stuck in my throat. She had the kind of face painters would dream to eternalize on canvas. From the color of her hair, I’d anticipated her being old, but she appeared in her twenties. Large, silver eyes stared at me. Her skin was the color of porcelain, without any blemish, as if she was made of wax. “I, Seraphyn,” she said, “call in my veto.”

About the Author

  Majanka Verstraete begged her Mom to teach her how to read while she was still in kindergarten. By the time she finished fifth grade, she had read through the entire children’s section of her hometown library. She wrote her first story when she was seven years old, and hasn’t stopped writing since. With an imagination that never sleeps, and hundreds of possible book characters screaming for her attention, writing is more than a passion for her. She writes about all things supernatural for children of all ages. She’s tried to write contemporary novels before, but something paranormal always manages to crawl in. Majanka is currently studying for her Master of Laws degree, and hopes one day to be able to combine her passions for law and writing. When she’s not writing, reading or studying, she likes watching “The Vampire Diaries” and “Game of Thrones,” spending time with her friends, or playing “World of Warcraft.”

Interview

Where are you from?

I’m from Belgium, a tiny country in Western Europe. I live near the coast (near Bruges, for those who’ve seen the movie).

Tell us your latest news?

Well, my latest news include the release of “The Soul Thief”, the first book in my new YA paranormal series, “The Angel of Death series”. I also have a few more releases coming up, two scary chapter books, “The Clumsy Magician” and “Grave Error” on December 1^st. I have a few more books coming up in 2015.

When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. When I was seven years old, I wrote stories that involved witches, dragons and vampires.

I’m not sure why I started writing. I just had so many ideas in my mind, and I wanted to get them out.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When my first manuscript got accepted by a publisher. That was “Fractured”, a YA dark fantasy. It got published back in 2013. Its sequel, “Reflected”, will be released in 2015. It was amazing to find out a publisher was actually interested in my work.

What inspired you to write your first book?

An image of a mirror inspired me to write “Fractured”. Mirrors have always scared me. When I was younger, I sometimes stood in front of the mirror for minutes on end, just looking at myself. Something seemed wrong with it most of the times, as if the person staring back at me was someone else. That feeling never really left, and it inspired me to write a book focusing on mirrors and the world behind mirrors.

Do you have a specific writing style?

That’s a tough question! I’m not sure. For my chapter books, I tend to write in 3^rd person perspective, but my YA novels are usually from a 1^st person perspective. “He/she” versus “I”. Not sure why I do that. Reviewers have said I have a specific writing style, but it’s hard to pinpoint for me.

How did you come up with the title?

I’m assuming you mean for “The Soul Thief”. Well, usually titles are hard. I could spend hours thinking about a specific title. But this one just came to me. I’ve no idea how it happened.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

I try not to include too many messages, because I don’t want to sound too preachy, but I guess the message here is that you can’t give up, no matter what happens, and that sometimes you can do a lot more than you give yourself credit for.

How much of the book is realistic?

It’s a YA paranormal, so not much. I try to make the characters realistic though – even if they’re angels, demons, or what not, I want them to behave realistically, like regular people would do in similar circumstances.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Some are, but only loosely. One of the main character’s friends, a girl named Michelle, is based on a friend of mine, and the other characters are loosely based on my friends and family, but only for some parts. Other parts of them are completely fictional.

What books have most influenced your life most?

That would be “In The Forests of the Night” by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. This was my first vampire book, and I read it when I was about ten years old. I’d read several books about vampires before, but those featured vampires as the villains. This one had them as protagonists. I read that book at least fifty times, probably more. It keeps inspiring me, even today.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

That’s a tough question. I haven’t really had any writers as mentors. I’ve had a few editors who offered a tremendous help though. One of them would be Lane Diamond, who is also a thriller author, but the feedback he gave me was as an editor.

What book are you reading now?

I just finished reading “Exorcist Road”, a horror novella by Jonathan Jantz. Great author, and I’d love to read more of his work. I’m a horror fan, to be honest. I read horror more often than any other genre.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Oh, way too many to sum up! Even just last week, I read this great chapter book, “Globaloonies: The Big Red Button” by author Max Candee. The book featured time travel, humor, and everything you’d look for in a chapter book. I discover new gems like that almost every week, so it’s hard to mention all of them here.

What are your current projects?

It’s NaNoWriMo, so I’m participating in that. I want to finish my WIP “Ghostslayer”, a new adult paranormal romance novel. I’m at 22k words now, and about 50k to go, so I better get to it.

I’m also working on the sequel to “The Soul Thief”, and on the edits for my chapter books releasing in December.

What would you like my readers to know?

I love to chat, so if you want to talk, feel free to leave a message or comment on my website. I love to hear from readers. If you read “The Soul Thief”, please leave a review, and thanks for taking the time to read my book.

I had a blast answering your questions. I hope your readers will enjoy this interview as well!

 Top 10 Novels You’ve Read

1. In The Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

2. The Witching Hour by Anne Rice

3. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

4. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

5. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

6. Graceling by Kristin Cashore

7. The Whispering Skull (Lockwood & Co #2) by Jonathan Stroud

8. The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co #1) by Jonathan Stroud

9. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

10. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffths 

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