Author at the podium! ~ Debbie De Louise

To read more about the very talented Debbie De Louise please check out her blog at:
https://debbiedelouise.com/

 

Welcome all,

Today I’m very happy to be interviewing Debbie De Louise, an author after my own heart, and author of “Between A Rock and a Hard Place”

      

 Hi Debbie, thank you for joining me today to talk about your work and especially your new book!  I love learning about what makes authors tick... Please tell us!

•      At what age did the writing bug hit?

That’s a difficult question because I began writing when I was a child. I wrote a great deal of material in my twenties – stories and dozens of novels. I still have those in notebooks and may want to do something with them one day. I didn’t start publishing anything until I was in my thirties, though, when I wrote articles for cat magazines and one of my short stories was published in an anthology. My first novel was published when I was in my forties. I had a period where I wasn’t writing, but I don’t think the “writing bug” ever left my system

• What was your first writing love: essays, short stories or poetry?  

I’ve written all of those, but I was always more interested in the long, novel-length form. I enjoy writing short stories, too.

• Do you remember what the first thing you wrote when you said, “I love doing this?"

It’s hard to recall, but I know I was thrilled when my short story, Stitches in Time, appeared in the Cat Crimes Through Time Anthology along with several more established authors. Seeing my work in print in a book was a great feeling.

• Tell us about your muse, and what inspired you to write your new novel?

I have two novels that will be coming out soon that are part of my Cobble Cove mystery series. I don’t really know what inspired me to write the first book, A Stone’s Throw. I think a few ideas were bubbling around in my mind. I took some of my experiences as a librarian and created a character, Alicia Fairmont, who became involved in a mystery and discovered romance along the way. I like writing that type of book because those are the ones I also enjoy reading. I created other characters in this book, some of who were composites of real life people I’d known and others who I completely made up but used a familiar name.

The old man Mac is known for his special PB&J sandwiches. He was based on an elderly gentleman I worked with at my college library who ate peanut butter and jelly every day for lunch. I named one character after my mother-in-law who passed away the year before and another after a childhood friend who I recently learned passed away, as well.

After I finished the first novel, I was inspired to continue the story and wrote Between a Rock and a Hard Place (published October 2016) adding some new characters and further developing the others. My latest, Written in Stone, that will be released late winter/early spring, is the third Cobble Cove Mystery. The core characters are featured with other new ones, and there are characters who leave the series either temporarily or permanently. The first mystery, A Stone’s Throw, is also being reprinted by my publisher, Solstice Publishing, within the next few months.

•          What is the genre? 

I consider my books mysteries. Many of my readers consider them cozies because most of the “action” takes place in the small, fictional town of Cobble Cove, New York and there is no explicit sex or violence involved in the stories. A Siamese cat and a golden retriever also play roles in both books. They are not human-like characters, but pets who turn up clues?

• What is "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" about?

The second Cobble Cove mystery that can be read as a standalone takes place in December as the town residents prepare for the holidays. One of the stores in the quaint shopping area is unexpectedly robbed. On the same night, Alicia believes a stalker is following her home from the library. Incidents escalate when babies are kidnapped and someone is murdered. As in A Stone’s Throw, where some scenes take place on Long Island, there are some scenes in New York

City in Between a Rock and a Hard Place.

•        Give us an insight to your main character. What does he/she do that makes it special?

Alicia is a librarian and also the co-author of a mystery series. She is a widow in her forties who finds true love after the truth about her dead husband is revealed. During the course of the first book and throughout the series, Alicia’s character develops from one who is a bit shy and unsure of herself to a woman who takes control of her life.

•   What is the strangest thing you researched for your book? 

In A Stone’s Throw, I spoke with a coroner about the process of exhuming a body after it was buried. In Between a Rock and a Hard Place, I spoke to my vet about how a dog’s barking could be stopped without harming it.

•          What is your writing style?

I like to put in some humor in my work. Alicia tends to be somewhat serious, but Mac and John come up with a few funny lines. Alicia’s friend Gilly can also be humorous.

•         As far as book sales are concerned, what have you done to promote your book?

I’ve spoken at several libraries and my local Barnes and Noble bookstore. I publish two blogs that I write regularly. I have an author’s newsletter that is emailed twice a month to subscribers. I’m active on social media – Facebook and Twitter. I’ve had online book tours and hosted Facebook events. I also attend conferences. I’ll be going to the Cat Writer Association’s conference in South Carolina in May and Book Expo America in New York City in June.

•        What do you think of “trailers” for books? 

If done well, I think they can help with promotion. I have one for my first two books, and my publisher creates them for anthologies and author publicity.

•           What is your favorite motivational phrase? 

The main line from my first mystery: “Things Happen for a Reason.” Many of the unpleasant experiences I’ve had have been for the best, even if I didn’t realize it at the time. Often, another opportunity presented itself that would not have been possible without having experienced an initial letdown.

•           How can readers discover more of you and your work?

   

Website, Blog, and Newsletter signup: https://debbiedelouise.com (also where they can sign up for my newsletter and read my blog)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbie.delouise.author/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Deblibrarian

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/

Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Debbie-De-Louise/e/B0144ZGXPW/

Book Links: Between a Rock and a Hard Place (ebook): myBook.to/CobbleCove2

(paperback):  myBook.to/CC2paper.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2750133.Debbie_De_Louise

Blog site: https://debbiedelouise.com/

 Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview and the best of luck to you and your writing career!

  

Character Introductions!

Each Day I am doing introductions of Characters in 

Nights Arose.

Starting out with Sunday I, of course, lead off with 

AROSE DU MOUCHELLE

Arose is the keeper of the Gem of the Red Spirit

She must act as guardian to the gates of hell where the 

demons are held prisoner.

But she has lost it during a one night stand to a pirate she had only

seen in a vision. 

This vision may cost the lives of those she loves to a Voodoo Witches curse.

                                                                   

Monday I introduced
BESSONTH
 Blue Fire Dragon
Kindly Old Bess gave her Red Gem to
Arose. She knew full well the child had powers beyond those
the amulet would bestow on her.
When Bess took off her necklace it left her open to the spell that
would turn her into a huge blue fire breathing dragon.

Day 3 Character Introduction
MARY MURPHY AKA VOODOO PRIESTESS 

MOREL

Boo! Boo!She wants what Arose has The Gem of the Red Spirit.

 Why? What will she do with it?

Character introduction #4
EDMUND DU MOUCHELLE

Arose's Uncle and Caretaker
Arose became his ward when it became too dangerous for her to stay on the Island of Jamaica
The most wonderful thing about this was watching how their relationship grew.
And
How he became a better man because she was in his life.
(Children do that do you.)

Character #5
BLAZE

Arose's best friend and nanny sort of speak.
He met her when Captain Edmund sent him to collect Arose from her plantation home.
She stayed with him, under his watchful eye, until it was too dangerous for her to stay on board.
She would never forget him, and he swore to protect her.
But could he let her go when her heart fell for another?

Character #6
Friday's Character

THE LADY KATHERINE
Ever heard of the Wicked Step Mother?
Well, this is her mother.

Married Arose father Francoise Du Mouchelle shortly after the death of her
mother during Arose's birth. Moved in with her two young daughters and three cats. Does she love and care for Arose as she deserved? That's up to the reader to decide.








Character #7
Saturday's Character Captain St. James
A Notorious and Deadly Swashbuckler!

Arose has seen him in a vision or was it a nightmare.

                        She knows him by his aura and his scent made up of Cedar, Iron, and Citrus fruit.           When they finally

meet she must battle him before she can make her escape.

Character #8

HAROLD AMBRIELLE
The Changeling

His sister the voodoo Priestess has
given him the power to turn into a huge boar at will.
Sometimes part man part wild animal he wants to make Arose
his own personal love slave.

A Big Thank you to the people over at Readers Favorite for some excellent REVIEWS

New Reviews

Nights Arose has some new reviews I can share with you!

        

      Reviewed by Lisa McCombs for Readers' Favorite-- 4 Stars 

     Nessarose Du Mouchelle really didn’t like her given name. Too much pretense assigned to such a name. She preferred her father’s signature Arose, or even Rosie to those familiar enough to lay claim to that title. As a clairvoyant, Arose is normally very accurate in sizing up people, but not without the opalescent Gem of the Red Spirit on her person. When her dearest friend Old Bess assures her she will always be protected by the stone, Arose is thoroughly concerned when the stone disappears not long after the abduction of Bess. In order to save her people from the darkness of the demons of hell, Arose needs her stone, Old Bess, and Captain St. James. As Arose struggles to maintain her hold on the Gem of Red Spirit, she learns more about the people in her life: who to trust and who to avoid. When her sister weds the sinister Ambrielle, Arose is forced to make many uncomfortable decisions. 

     Nights Arose by Andrea Roche is a seductive adult fantasy that compels the reader to battle the demons with Nessarose as she strives to understand the actions of her childhood love, Blaze. The language is entertaining and often whimsical in its underlying sarcasm. There are two extremely vivid battle scenes that scream for big-screen attention, complete with the inclusion of a fire-breathing dragon and mystical nuances that would project well in technicolor. I feel that the story’s action balances metaphorically with Arose's emotions throughout, creating a unique plot element.

           

    Lovely Lisa gave me 4 stars but I still love her review.  Sounds to me like she really enjoyed it, which is my goal in the first place.

Review: Reviewed by Melinda Hills for Readers' Favorite 

      Set in Jamaica in the late 17th century, Nights Arose follows an amazing heroine, Arose du Mouchelle, as she constantly combats the efforts of a strong Voodoo priestess to take a coveted jewel, the Gem of the Red Spirit, that has been in her family for generations. Andrea Roche gives Arose strength and intelligence, characteristics unusual in women of that time, so that she can protect not only her family, but also the island and the world at large. Confronting the evil incarnations Morel sends to hurt Arose and steal the Gem, the beautiful young woman is forced to use all the guile she possesses, even to dressing as a man and fitting in on the docks. With an almost Cinderella-like feel, Arose is passed over as the stepdaughter when Harold Ambrielle, brother of the Priestess, marries into the family to force Arose to do his bidding. With swashbuckling action, astral travel, and plenty of exotic locales, Arose and the mysterious Captain St. James have their work cut out for them to save their beautiful island home. 

     Entirely action-packed and with plenty of magic, Nights Arose by Andrea Roche is an exciting and deeply intriguing story. The beauty of the settings and the historical tidbits describing life in a different era add to the dynamic plot that plays out smoothly, although with plenty of twists and turns. Roche uses Arose’s astral travel to fill in the past so that the present makes sense and keeps the action crisp and purposeful. There is so much to this book that it is hard to encapsulate it, but if you are looking for paranormal adventure, romance, action and a strong, beautiful heroine who can take care of herself, this is the perfect book.

Melinda Hills is my own personal hero from now on, 5 stars and my first pretty, pretty, shiny, shiny sticker!

Reviewed By Faridah Nassozi for Readers’ Favorite

     In Nights Arose by Andrea Roche, Arose is a girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders. She has the most noble and most dangerous of roles. As a little girl, she was picked by an old gypsy to be the guardian of the Gem of the Red Spirit, putting the fate of the mortal world in her hands. Only she has power over the gem and hence she holds the key to the Netherworld where demons remain in captivity. Meanwhile, a voodoo priestess employs all the evil tricks in her book to get the gem - she needs its powers to unlock the gates of the Netherworld and unleash evil onto earth. After years in hiding, Arose returns home as a young adult, only to find her enemies still waiting. Arose still pines over a long lost love, but her feelings will have to wait, for the world as we know it will come to an end if the evil priestess is not stopped.
     Nights Arose by Andrea Roche is a captivating tale of a long and hard-fought battle between good and evil. Andrea Roche crafted an engrossing tale with a unique plot that combines time and space travel with magic to bring to life the ultimate showdown between darkness and light and give you a remarkable reading experience. The story is filled with mystery and intrigue that hold strong all the way to the end with plot twists that you will not see coming. Nights Arose by Andrea Roche is a truly memorable read and fans of the genre will have a thrill reading it.

Faridah, Faridah Oh man do I ever need ya, (opinion that is).  I love the way my story is considered engrossing unique and filled with intrigue so great!!

 Bit.ly/NightsArose

Chapter 1 Sundown at Cliffside

She crouched on the ledge of a dune. The dying sun's embers lit the sky just before the night arose. The previous hours of her day were difficult and tiresome. She wasn't sure if her queasy stomach came from her boiling blood or the fact she hadn't eaten since morning. The day's close did give her some relief from the evil voodoo and treachery which followed her since that afternoon... "He" would be on the hunt for her, ready to pounce like a feral animal on its prey.
Read more on #Amazon or #Barnes and Noble. Read #freebooks on #kindleunlimited 

I am totally in love with this promo. Now with my Bit.ly/Nights Arose in place and the 3d image of my book I can safely say I am ready for my next book.

The Witch and the Whispers

Look out for it sometime in 2018 I would guess.

Andrea Roche- Author: promo Nights Arose Book Trailer Part II

So exciting! I learned of a new Promo video company. I loved the way they worked and was able to come up with the below video. Take a look











Andrea Roche- Author: promo Nights Arose Book Trailer Part II

promo Nights Arose Book Trailer Part II