Girls*Heart* Books

Tammy's Two Cent's
Lacey Jackson Weatherford Interview, Review and Giveaway
- Of Witches and Warlocks series -

What does every young girl wish for on her sixteenth birthday? Not to be told she's a witch, that's for sure!
But what if it comes with powers, a hot romance, and exciting adventure?
Of Witches and Warlocks Series Book One, The Trouble with Spells

The Of Witches and Warlocks series

:1. The Trouble With Spells
2. The Demon Kiss
3. Blood of the White Witch
4. The Dark Rising
5. Possession of Souls

Where to begin…. I LOVED THIS SERIES! Let me warn you, as I was in the beginning, you will NOT be able to put them down. Vance Mangum has been in love with Portia since the first time he laid eyes on her but, he has made a promise to wait. This series is a testament to the undying, unyielding, unwavering love that these two characters have for each other

On Portia’s 16^th birthday her grandmother shares a huge family secret with her, she’s a witch. Of course her Grandma is a witch as well, and her Father and Vance are Warlocks. Vance has waited 2 years, as promised, to be with Portia and he will wait no more. The night of her birthday he sneaks in her window, and their wild ride begins! Now Portia learns that her father and grandma are in charge of a very powerful coven and they are protecting Vance from his Father, Damien Mangum aka Evil Encarnate! As Vance teaches Portia more about her newfound world, her world as she knew it is falling apart. Her best friend is possessed by an evil witch, her coven is endangered and then a terrible accident at school leaves Portia injured and Vance has been kidnapped. Only the strong bond between them can lead Portia to her love but, what will she find when she finds him?

I love that Portia’s parents are so, normal. Her father, Sean, fearless leader of their Coven is still the overprotective Dad very leary of this fastly growning all consuming love Portia and Vance have. Her mom, Stacey, although completely aware of the family “heritage” and completely okay with it is so blissfully normal, baking cookies and buying her daughter the most hideous scooter for her birthday. And there is also the normalcy that comes with being a teenager in society today, the ups and downs of your first (and only in the case) love, struggles with friendships, dating and highschool *heavy sigh*. Of course, there is also some kick ass magic!

I give this book, and series, 5 out of 5 stars! It is a must read for all ages.

And now, on to the good part… Lacey has been so kind to answer some questions for me and offer up some freebies! So to start here is my interview with the ever so Fabulous Lacey Jackson Weatherford (contest details to follow!)…………

*Tell me a bit about yourself.

Oh, that could get scary! haha Let's see ... I'm a housewife suffering from multiple personality disorder, only my personalities come out in the form of characters in my books! LOL (Somedays it really feels that way, though...you know...when the voices are talking! haha) Actually, I love writing and reading and spend a lot of time doing those, and photography as well. I'm also mom to six beautiful children, (those are the other voices I hear, haha) and married to a wonderful man for twenty-two years this week! Before I was an author, I was first a music major, before switching to emergency medicine and working in that field for several years. I have always wanted to write a book, since about the age of nine, when I was totally addicted to Nancy Drew novels and thought it would be so cool to write a mystery.

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

I am a life long resident of Arizona, though I was born in Ft. Meade, Maryland while my dad was serving in the military. Other than a brief year spent in New Mexico for college, I've lived in several locations throughout Arizona, but here in the White Mountains is my favorite. I don't care for the desert areas much, they're too hot. I much prefer the pine trees and snow!

*What was your inspiration for Of Witches and Warlocks?

Ironically, it stemmed from a hair dying experience my daughter had. She was dying her hair back from a very light blond color to her natural brown, but it went black instead. Someone made the comment, teasing her that everyone was going to think she was trying to be a witch. It stuck in my head for some reason, starting all these ideas. I couldn't get the ideas to stop, so I finally started writing them down and the began writing the story in earnest about a week later. Six week after that the book was finished.

*Was there a particular person that was the inspiration for Vance and/or Portia?

Not for Portia, but I based the character of Vance off the likeness of actor, Matt Lanter. I watched all of his movies to learn his mannerisms and tried to write those into the character.

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

Probably the worst, was the first. I signed a contract with the first publisher that offered, and it was not a good thing. I spent the next year trying to get out of that contract and was finally (and thankfully) able to buy it out. I tried to learn everything I could about the business in that space of time too, and I've met some wonderful people along the way who taught me a lot. Other than that, I'm just busy. The more interest has grown, the busier I've gotten which leaves less and less time to write. Less time to write makes it harder to meet deadlines, so that gets a little frustrating at times.

*Can you give us any sneak peaks for Of Witches and Demons?

It's actually hard to give any sneak peaks for Of Witches and Demons, because so much of the plot and characters revolve around potential spoilers for the first series. I can say there will be more magic and fighting used in this series, and introduction to some things we haven't known of before in the Of Witches and Warlocks world, and I think it will come off a little more intense and edgy. A few of the main characters will continue over into Of Witches and Demons, but there will also be new characters front and center too.

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

My mom. Always my mom. She was my very best friend, and I often feel her influence in my life even though she passed away five years ago. I love her very much, and am thankful for every second we were able to spend together. Those are some of my most cherished memories.

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

Ha, ha! I don't know if I can pick just one. I've had reviewers that said they wanted to have Vance's baby before. I've also had people message me and tell me how much the books have touch their lives, particularly when dealing with death of a loved one, or encouraged them to follow their dreams. Some comments make me laugh, others make me cry, but I love all the comments from readers. They totally make my day.

*In your OWAW series you named a character after your best friend, Belinda Boring, what are you experience's having your bestie in the same business?

I love Belinda! She is so awesome! We actually met after she read my first book and fell in love with Vance. We are cousins by marriage, and had been to family reunions together before, but our family reunions are HUGE and we just never knew each other. It was love at first Facebook! haha We chatted for a few weeks and then finally decided to meet in person. We hit it off like crazy! I went to a bookstore with her one day and she went walking down the aisles pointing at the books and telling me the plots to each of them. I couldn't believe how much she could remember about every book she read. I told her, "You need to be a book reviewer!" She hedged on it, said she was too shy, and she would think about it. So I did what any self respecting best friend would do. I went home made her a website called The Bookish Snob, advertised it on Amazon and called her up and said, "Here you go!" (insert evil laugh here.) If there was EVER a person meant for this business, it is Belinda!! She's a natural! I'm so thrilled to see her producing her own novels now, and watching her fans gobble them up! We have a BLAST together. She moved to be next to me, and everyday is like a crazy party!

*Hollywood is calling, they are making OWAW into a movie! Who would be your dream cast for the main characters? Vance... Portia... Sean... Granma... Brad... Shelly... Damien...

This one is EASY! Vance: Matt Lanter. Portia: Emma Roberts. Sean: Rob Estes. Grandma Milly: Diane Keaton. Brad: Zach Roerig. Shelly: Taylor Swift Damien: Sean Bean. Love all these people!

*Tell us your latest news.

Let's see, lastest news is that I just released my 6th book, a YA Contemprorary Romance called Chasing Nikki. This is my first release outside of the Of Witches and Warlocks series, so I was a little nervous to see how it would go over. It went straight to #1 in less than 12 hours. My jaw was gaping! haha. The reviews from everyone have been so lovely, and very special to me since this book is so close to my heart. In other news, I am getting ready to head to the Romantic Times Convention in Chicago in April. Belinda and I will be there all week doing meet and greets, and book signings, so I'm really looking forward to that.

*Please, do tell why we should read your novels.

I'm a BIG romance buff, so if you love a lot of romance, you will probably like my work. I love trying to reach out and touch the reader emotionally somehow. It might be fiction, but that doesn't mean it can't make you feel. I like to have substance to my work, and I try to draw from my real life experiences to help fuel those feelings, no matter what feeling it is. That's really important to me. I promise to take you on a trip! haha

*And, finally..... what is the release date for Of Witches and Demons?

The first book for the Of Witches and Demons series is called, Slayer, and it's currently scheduled for a Halloween release. :)

` CONTEST/GIVEAWAY DETAILS AND ENTRY `

Lacey has offered up 1 signed copy of book 1 The Trouble with Spells AND

1 signed copy of her newest book Chasing Nikki!

To enter 1.”like” Mel’s Book blog on facebook

2. “like” Of Witches and Warlocks paranormal book series on facebook

3. leave a comment here on the blog… what is your favorite love story?

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE, CONTEST TO RUN THROUGH APRIL 7^TH

If you want to know more about Lacey Weatherford, this series, or upcoming book projects, please visit her website at LaceyWeatherfordBooks.com