Tammy's Two Cents: Interview, Review & Giveaway with Dawn Gray

Tammy's Two Cents

Interview, Review and Giveaway with Author Dawn Gray.. S.P.I.R.I.T Firestorm

 

When Samantha Ricketts finds herself placed in a town half-way across the country, her only worry is how did she get there, but when her life is saved by a handsome and mysterious man, the connection they feel is almost more than she can stand.

Zander Smith was only acting on his instincts and training when he moved the dark-haired woman to safety but what he got from his heroics wasn't the distressed woman he had thought he was helping but a fireball of fury that sparked a storm within himself.

Together they tap into the supernatural to uncover the mysteries surrounding the strange town they were slowly growing fond of before they became part of its history.

*Disclaimer, this book is not PG 13*

What a good book!  This will be one of my shorter reviews as I find it difficult to discuss much without giving something away!  Finally a sexy, romantic, ghost story... with a touch of paranormal and (dare I say) 

s.e.x :-)! Sam and Zander have become one of my new favorite couples with their undeniable, instant connection.  This story reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock via The Twilight Zone.

Imagine waking up in a strange place, wearing strange clothes and then stumbling across an Insanely Hot Man.  A man you feel electrically connected to as if you've always known him and yet, he is a stranger.  Or is he?  And then you get to watch the events unravel and see what "gifts" the two share (aside from an animalistic attraction that provides for some STEAMY reading!).  I wish I could say more but, I don't want to spoil the surprise... S.P.I.R.I.T Firestorm was 1 of my top 5 reads thus far this year.  Oh, and, it's free right now via Amazon.com. 

Keelie from The Page Turners on Facebook had this to say about it:

" I really really enjoyed this book. It had everything that I look for in a good book. Romance, sex (LOL), paranormal, action, and suspense. When I can find all of them in one book its like Christmas to me!!! I'm looking forward to the next books in the series that she writes... I definitely recommend this book to everyone."
 from Amazon.com

And now the fun part!  Dawn Gray was kind enough to humor me with my Interview questions and offer up a paperback copy of S.P.I.R.I.T Firestorm... so, without further ado here is my Interview with the openly honest Dawn Gray.....

*Tell us a bit about yourself.

 I am a stay-at-home mom of three bright kids, divorced and at the moment fighting with severe anxiety.  I grew up in Vermont until I was 15 and moved down to Massachusetts.  Last year, after planning, I moved back to Vermont.

*Where were you born and where do you call home?

I was born in Springfield, MA and I have always called Vermont home

*What was your inspiration for S.P.I.R.I.T?

The first chapter of S.P.I.R.I.T was actually the last few moments of a dream.  I woke up one morning and had to write it down.  Since the church in the story was one in my hometown that I spent a lot of time at one summer I thought that it would be a great beginning to something.

*Was there a particular person that was the inspiration for Zander or Samantha? 

There wasn’t a specific person for Zander as far as someone I know, and Samantha was just that perfect inspiration from a dream.  She was the feisty heroine that everyone loves in a story.

*What was your research process while you were writing S.P.I.R.I.T?

Being that the S.P.I.R.I.T unit is a “imaginary” organization, I actually looked up the different branches to get an idea of where people might stand.  The weapons used were ones that I asked a family friend who had just finished his weapons training in the Army and I gathered information on what “ghost hunting” equipment they made need.  The bullets used in the M4A1 rifle was a combination of science and imagination.

*For those that aren't familiar with your book; how would you describe it to them?

Imagine waking up in a place that you know you didn’t fall asleep in, dressed in clothing that you didn’t put on but everything is familiar in a strange way.  Now, add hot military men, strange ghosts and ghouls, and a past that for everyone else would seem unbelievable.  And, the plot just gets thicker.  To top it off, your own mother tells you that you’re dead. 

I think anything like that would intrigue someone to find out just what happens to Sam and Zander.

*What are some of the struggles you've experienced while getting your books out to the masses?

Being that it is an independent publication, it’s very hard to get it in bookstores.  Some refuse it all together, others want you to bring it in and do it on consignment on a 40% cut (they have to make money too).  With S.P.I.R.I.T, I have found that since moving back to Vermont, people who are curious and excited have helped spread the word, and my old hometown has been great at setting me up for signings during some very busy festivals.  Getting beyond my own state to introduce the book via stores is the hardest part.

*What are some of the Pro's and Con's to being an Indie Author?

I think that the pro’s are its all you, you’re the voice of your book, your work, but at the same time that can be a con too.  You have no outside help, as a far as an agent to promote and help with getting it out.

*Whom in your life would you say has influenced you the most?

My mother is my biggest influence.  She raised me and my siblings in Vermont while my dad had to take work in Massachusetts while we were younger, before we joined him.  She has been my rock and my encouragement through everything that I have gone through, my divorce, the battle with the anxiety and my sounding board for the books.  After being taken from work and unable to return, I tried to go to school, that was also something I was taken out of.  To help with my recovery, my mother fronted the money to get my first book published through Authorhouse, and she has helped with everything since.

*What has been the most interesting comment (or review) about your books?

I had one that I thought was the best, and not because it was bad or good, but that the person was honest.  It wasn’t her type of books and she said “the best part of the book was that it ended”.  Tickles me everytime.  I have had great response to this and I think because it has so many twists and turns and such a unique storyline.  Today we are overrun with the supernatural in our books, and I have a Vampire series all my own that came out just as Twilight hit the screen so I think S.P.I.R.I.T is a new twist on the normal paranormal reads.

*Tell us your latest news.

S.P.I.R.I.T: Malevolent Gateway is currently in the writing process.  The second in the series is based on another unit and the adventure they embark on, and S.P.I.R.I.T: Revenant Ghost will be part of an anthology for the Anchor Group this fall.

*What book are YOU currently reading?

Awaken by Sarah M. Ross. 

*Who is your favorite Author?

I have had so many in the past but right now I have to say that there are so many fantastic Indie authors out there that it is hard to chose.  So many people with such talent, and I applaud them all for having the courage to put their work out for others to enjoy.

*Would you like to end by telling us about your other books?

I am working on re-releasing the Vampire Legacy series.  It is a seven book saga about the Deveraux Clan and their work with prophecies.  Their history goes back 10,000 years and each book deals with a different member of the clan and a different prophecy to fulfill.  The ultimate struggle between good and evil.

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway