Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Troubled Spirits by Teri Lee Interview, excerpt & Giveaway





Troubled Spirits

Teri Lee



Genre: YA Paranormal



Publisher: Black Rose Writing



Date of Publication: August 21, 2014



ISBN: 1612964028

ASIN: B00NJ523TE



Number of pages: 220

Word Count: 64,000



Book Description:



Annie Waters hates birthdays. At least she hates her birthdays. Because every year her mother told the story of her grandmother's ghostly appearance in the delivery room. But the worst birthday was her sixteenth--the day she killed her dad.


Forced to move to Shady Cove, Maine, Annie is drawn deep into the world of the supernatural by her new friend, Harmony. Now, tormented by an angry spirit, Annie has only nine days to unravel the secrets of the Caldwell School or join the spirit world herself















Excerpt:

As they turned onto the school road, Harmony finally spoke.

“I think the ghost knew your grandmother. And…” Excitement crept into her voice, “He sensed your grandmother’s presence when we went into the Caldwell School. He might even think you are your grandmother!”

Harmony looked out the window. They were almost to the school. “I don’t think he can tell the difference. Which means, he thinks you’re Annie Mae Brown. And that scares him!”

Something came over Annie—a force so powerful that she couldn’t resist called her from the Caldwell School. She cranked the wheel, whipping the car into the school lot, then slammed on the brakes, skidding to a stop in front of the old school. She jumped out of the car and ran toward the building.

“Annie, what are you doing?” Harmony yelled.

Annie stopped. She didn’t know why she was doing it, but she knew she had to. “I am Annie Mae Brown!” she screamed.

“And I’m going to make sure the whole world knows your secret!”

The ground trembled. And with a deafening boom, the school windows shattered. Shards of glass flew toward her.

Behind her, Harmony screamed.

And suddenly Drew was there, knocking her to the ground, shielding her with his body as glass pelted the ground around her.

The storm of glass stopped and Annie looked up into Drew’s eyes. “Are you okay?” he asked, getting to his feet.

Annie pushed herself up into a sitting position. “I think so.”

“Stay here,” Drew said, then dashed into the old school building.

“Annie…” Harmony’s voice was weak.

Annie scrambled to her feet. Harmony was standing in front of the car, a piece of glass sticking out of her chest. Annie ran.

Her feet moved, but Harmony seemed to be getting farther away. And then she watched in horror as Harmony looked down at the glass.

“Don’t!” Annie screamed—too late. Harmony reached up.

Her fingers wrapped around the glass and she pulled. She looked down at the glass in her hand as if wondering where it had come from. A dark red blotch spread across her bright green hoodie. The evil-looking shard slipped from her hand and shattered on the pavement. Harmony dropped to her knees. Her eyes met Annie’s for a brief second before she toppled forward.

Annie reached her friend in time to catch her and lower her to the ground. “Somebody, help me,” she screamed. In the distance she heard voices. “Help!” she yelled again.

Her fingers felt thick as she worked the zipper down and pulled Harmony’s sweatshirt open. Blood flowed from a deep gash just below Harmony’s left shoulder. Annie yanked her own sweatshirt off and pressed it against the wound. Harmony’s face was white. Her eyes were closed. “Talk to me,” Annie cried.

Harmony’s eyelids fluttered open. “You okay?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Annie nodded. Tears streamed down her face.

“I saw…” Harmony’s voice faded and her eyes closed.

“Open your eyes!” Annie sobbed. “Please open your eyes.”

Harmony didn’t move. The blood soaked through Annie’s sweatshirt.

“Please don’t die,” Annie whispered. She pressed harder on the wound. She could feel the ghost behind her. She looked back at the old school building, expecting to see the swirling dark shadow. Empty windows stared back at her.

She needed to get help, but she couldn’t let up on the pressure. Harmony would die!

Where was Drew? Why wasn’t he helping her?

“Drew! Anybody! Help! Please help,” she screamed.

A door slammed across the street. Footsteps pounded on the pavement, growing closer. She looked back at Harmony.

“Someone’s coming. Hang on.”

The bleeding seemed to have slowed and Annie leaned closer to her friend. “See, it’s slowing down. You’re going to be okay.” And then an awful thought crept into her mind. The worst thought ever. What if the bleeding had slowed because Harmony’s heart had stopped beating? What if Harmony was-she couldn’t think the word.



About the Author:



Teri Lee is the author of Troubled Spirits, a YA paranormal novel. Growing up in Maine, Teri spent hours exploring in the woods with her friends dreaming up places like ‘Land of the Lost’, ‘Trouble Hill’, and ‘Paradise’. If she wasn’t in the woods, you’d find her lost in a book. And today not much has changed. She’s still dreaming up imaginary places, getting lost in a book, and sometimes lost in the woods. When she’s not writing you’ll find her saving lives and rescuing splinters in the ER.

Interview
Where are you from? I was born in Maine and that is my home now. However, growing up I also lived in South Carolina, Maryland and Illinois. After I was married we spent several years in Florida.
Tell us your latest news? I’m working Whispering Spirits, a sequel to Troubled Spirits.
When and why did you begin writing? While in high school I discovered that I loved to write. I started writing fiction about six years ago. But before that I wrote a few clinical articles which were published and a couple I was able to present at a national conference.
When did you first consider yourself a writer? I think I finally began to consider myself a writer after I joined my critique group five years ago. Those ladies held me accountable to submitting every two weeks. They’ve taught me so much about ‘rules of the craft’.
What inspired you to write your first book? My first book, Escape from Dark Forest was inspired by my own childhood. My siblings and I would disappear into the woods for hours. We dreamed up lots of imaginary places like Paradise, Land of the Lost and Trouble (because we got into trouble every time we went there).  Escape from Dark Forest is not published. I sent it on a few rounds of queries, then pulled it to do a little more polishing. Troubled Spirits was inspired by an invitation  
Do you have a specific writing style? I suppose I do, but I’m not sure I can identify it.
How did you come up with the title? That was a painful process. I’m just not good at titles. For weeks I threw inundated my critique group and family with potential titles. I tried online title generators that looked for frequently used words. In the end, my title came from my fellow critique member and amazing friend, Jeanne Curtin. Check out her blog at www.curtincorner.blogspot.com
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? I didn’t write Troubled Spirits with any intentional message, but when I finished I realized that its underlying theme is to never give up.
How much of the book is realistic? Shady Cove is a fictional town, but it’s based on a real town in Maine. And the ghostly rumor that Callie discovers online is based on a rumored haunting that I discovered online, although I tweaked it to fit my story.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? The idea for Troubled Spirits was born from the potential of a ghost hunting excursion. The rest is pure fiction.
What books have most influenced your life most? As much as I love to read, it’s been the real life experiences that have influenced me the most. Working in the ER, I am acutely aware of how suddenly devastation can strike. That’s why I make the time to experience life.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? I read a lot of Tess Gerritsen and I like her character development. But Stephen King could sure help me add a bit more terror to my paranormal stories.
What book are you reading now? Tess Gerritsen’s Die Again
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? I recently read Amalie Jahn’s The Clay Lion and will absolutely read more from her.
What are your current projects? I’m working on Whispering Spirits, a sequel to Troubled Spirits

What would you like my readers to know? I love feedback from readers, so if you’ve read Troubled Spirits and want to leave me a review, that would be amazing. Also, stop by my website www.Teri-Lee-author.com and check out the Bully Project page. Never forget the power of words!



















Tour giveaway



5 ebooks copies Troubled Spirits



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