Wrath
and Bones
The
Marnie Baranuik Files
Book
4
A.J.
Aalto
Genre:
Paranormal/Fantasy
Publisher:
Booktrope Editions
Date
of Publication: December 28, 2015
ASIN:
B018MNEBKQ
Number
of pages: 486
Cover
Artist: Greg Simanson
Book
Description:
Marnie
Baranuik is confident that her new psychic detective agency will be a
great success, and she has eight million business cards to prove it.
But before the paint even dries on her open for business sign, she’s
summoned to face the Demon King Asmodeus in His own playground, the
revenant court, home of the undead nobility, to participate in a
conclave of the most powerful immortals on Earth.
Orc
prophets have forewarned her that danger is looming in the far north.
In her most ambitious adventure yet, Marnie must harness her powers,
gather trusted friends to wade into battle, and complete an
international treasure hunt that would make Indiana Jones break into
a cold sweat, before raising a new revenant house to rule from the
Unhallowed Throne... and do it all without getting her heart or legs
broken. Storms are brewing, threats are piling up, and the stakes are
higher than ever, but Marnie is determined to dance with danger to
the very end. There’s only one thing left to do: deal with it,
Baranuik-Style.
Does
anyone know if yetis like take-out? And when you're on a date with a
mummy, who picks up the check?
About
the Author:
AJ
Aalto is an unrepentant liar and a writer of blathering nonsense
offset by factual gore. When not working on her horror novels, you
can find her singing old Monty Python songs in the shower,
eavesdropping on perfect strangers, stalking her eye doctor, or
failing at one of her many fruitless hobbies. Generally a fan of
anyone with a passion for the ridiculous, she has a particular weak
spot for smug, pseudointellectual a**holes and narcissistic jerks;
readers will find her work littered with dark, imperfect creatures
and flawed monsters.
AJ
cannot say no to a Snickers bar, and has been known to swallow her
gum.
Interview:
Where are you from?
I’m from St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, and I now live in
a smaller town nearby called Thorold.
Tell us your latest news.
My fourth book in the Marnie Baranuik Files, Wrath &
Bones, was released December 28, 2015, and the third short story in the series,
Deadhead, came out December 3, 2015. I’m super excited about it, which is like
regular excited, only I’m wearing a cape and a mask.
When and why did you begin writing?
I was thirteen and I was inspired to put myself into the
David Eddings series, the Belgariad. I wanted to live in that world so badly.
My dad read what I was scribbling and suggested I write my own world instead of
borrowing someone else’s ideas.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I was on a trip to Cuba and the document we had to sign
asked what my occupation was. I wrote “writer” even though my paying job was a
bookseller in a big chain. It felt good to write it, though. It affirmed what I
felt about myself.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I was writing an epic fantasy that didn’t seem to be going
anywhere (in fact, it never did.) and I wanted to take a break to write
something light and funny, a book in which the main character could be a lot
less heroic and a lot sillier. That book, Touched, was such a relief to write
and so much fun that I’ve been mucking around in that same world ever since.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I like to blend goofy slapstick comedy, snark, sex, and
horror into a goulash I like to call Kickin’ Ass & Catchin’ Dick.
How did you come up with the title?
I was boning a turkey carcass for soup and I aimed the
wishbone at my son (who is relentless with bad jokes and puns) and I warned him
he was about to feel my wrath. He joked, “oh no, wrath and bones in the
kitchen.” When my eyes lit up, he said, “you just got a kooky writer idea,
huh?”
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to
grasp?
My heroine, Marnie Baranuik, is a doofus. She tries hard,
fails a lot, wants to run screaming from the monsters, but keeps getting back
up and trying again. She surprises herself a lot. I guess my message would be:
even reluctant goofs can be heroes.
How much of the book is realistic?
Oh, the science is as real as I can get it, before I start
playing around. I’m a biologist, so I can craft things that sound pretty
plausible before I unleash a zombie or a goblin or what have you.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your
real life?
Well, I am both a scientist and a fuck-up, and I have a foul
mouth most days, so you might say my main character is a lot like me.
Unfortunately for me, the magic and monsters part isn’t based too closely on my
experiences. The embarrassingly clumsy sex might be, though. I’ll never tell.
What books have most influenced your life? David Eddings’
the Belgariad series, Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware books, and Stephen
King’s short stories have all stuck with me pretty strongly. Any story that is
heavier on character development than any other creative device has a spot on
my night table.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a
mentor?
Tom Waits, though he’s a songwriter. I just love the way his
mind works.
What book are you reading now?
I just picked up Symbiont by Mira Grant and Anywhere But
Here by Jason D. Morrow. I haven’t cracked either open yet, because I am
currently failing at Sudoku puzzles in the evening. This occupies much of my
time.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Mira Grant is amazing, and new to me, though she’s been
writing for some time. I very much enjoyed Parasite and am looking forward to
the next two books in the series. Also, I’m chuckling my way through Larry
Weiner’s Island trilogy.
What are your current projects?
I’m currently working on the next book in the Marnie
Baranuik series, and a short story that I’m hoping will be available before
Christmas 2016.
What would you like my readers to know?
I’m sure it’s been mentioned many times before to your
readers, but nothing is more rewarding for a writer than for you to leave an
honest review on Amazon or Goodreads, or on your blog. We like to hear from you,
what you liked, and what you didn’t like. We like seeing the story through your
eyes. Our part, the writing of the story, is only half of the adventure. You,
the readers, complete the journey. We can’t do that part. That’s all you. The
parts that spoke to you, the parts that ended up too subtle, or too strong, we
love to hear that. It’s pretty rare that we can sit down with someone who has
read our book and have a chat about how the book turned out in the reader’s
head. That’s where reviews help.
Thanks so much for having me! ~AJ
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