Sunday, January 4, 2015

Watch Me Burn by Sharon Bayliss Excerpt, Interview & Giveaway

Watch Me Burn
The December People
Book Two
Sharon Bayliss

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Date of Publication: 1/5/15

ISBN:
ASIN:

Number of pages: 250
Word Count: 75,000
Cover Artist: Michelle Johnson

Book Description:

David Vandergraff lost his home, his job, and contact with his oldest son, but remains determined to be a good husband and father despite being a dark winter wizard.

His resolve is tested when a flyer for a missing girl--who happens to be a summer witch--begins to haunt him. David believes a spell needs to use him to save her, so he follows the magic's command and looks into her disappearance. His teenage daughter Emmy resents him for caring so much about a random stranger. But when she uncovers some disturbing evidence close to home, she begins an investigation of her own.

David and Emmy quickly learn that the mystery is not only about a missing girl they barely know, but a deeply personal story that impacts everyone they care about. As their world crumbles, they fear the warning may be true—never mess with summer wizards, because the good guys always win.


Available at Amazon

Excerpt:
David Vandergraff could smell magic in the air, as clearly as he could smell the motor oil and burned coffee. When the news report began, the volume on the television became much louder, and the screen glowed as if demons would claw their way out at any minute. However, none of the other patrons in the waiting room of the mechanic's shop noticed anything different. They continued staring at their phones, looking pale and sick in the fluorescent light and excessive air conditioning. Before David had known he was a wizard, he dismissed such oddities as "just one of those things you can't explain". But now, he knew better.
The image of the missing girl on the screen shined so intensely, he could see her outline burned into the blackness behind his eyelids when he blinked. The girl posed in her volleyball uniform, displaying a radiant white-toothed smile. She looked about fourteen or fifteen. She had blonde hair and golden skin and a strange radiating quality, as if the pixels in the television gave her an extra glow.
David shook his head. Since he had learned he was a wizard, anytime he noticed anything strange, from bad weather to a headache, he feared magic was involved. His daughter Emmy was blonde, around the girl's same age, and played volleyball. So, the missing girl reminded him of Emmy—and of course, that would upset him. Besides, his heart always raced when he saw a missing child. Two of his own children had been missing for a long time. And even though they were now safe at home, he didn't think the fear and grief would ever leave him.
He tried to turn his attention back to scanning job listings on his tablet, but he couldn't focus his eyes on anything except the television report and all the other sounds turned into a whirring buzz.

  
About the Author:

Sharon Bayliss is the author of The December People Series and The Charge. When she’s not writing, she enjoys living happily-ever-after with her husband and two young sons. She can be found eating Tex-Mex on patios, wearing flip-flops, and playing in the mud (which she calls gardening). She only practices magic in emergencies.

Interview
Where are you from? Austin, Texas

Tell us your latest news? Book 2 in The December People Series released today!!!

When and why did you begin writing? I’ve always been writing. I wrote my first complete novel when I was fifteen.

When did you first consider yourself a writer? For as long as I can remember.

What inspired you to write your first book? When I was a little girl, I sometimes had trouble sleeping. My mom suggested I come up with stories in my head. I’ve been doing that all the time ever since.

Do you have a specific writing style? Fast-paced! I rarely stray too far from the action.

How did you come up with the title? Watch Me Burn is a line in the story. Once you read the line you see that the title reflects pain and abuse, but also hope and defiance.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? On the whole, the message of the story is about the triumph of love and family over adversity.

How much of the book is realistic? Everything…except the magic.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? Fortunately, no.

What books have most influenced your life most? Honestly, the Harry Potter series. I’ve enjoyed reading my whole life, but the Harry Potter books were the first ones I truly fell in love with.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? J.K. Rowling. I also think Margaret Atwood is inspiring.

What book are you reading now? I’m reading several. The most notable is probably Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. (I have my reasons ;) )

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? I have tons of author friends at Curiosity Quills Press. I love reading their books and watching their careers grow.

What are your current projects? Book three and four of The December People Series!

What would you like my readers to know? I’m a Slytherin. ;) If you still like me after knowing this, you should definitely read The December People Series.


@SharonBayliss



Tour giveaway

5 ebook copies Watch Me Burn

3 print copies Watch Me Burn open to US Shipping



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