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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Interview, Excerpt and Giveaway: Wicked Hunger (SomeOne Wicked This Way Comes #1) by DelSheree Gladden

Published: April 1st, 2014 by Clean Teen Publishing

Description: 17+

 “Save him and hurt him, don’t save him and hurt him. Pain, either way. Delicious pain. Hunger will be the only one that wins. Hunger always wins.”

Vanessa and Zander Roth are good at lying. Their whole life is a giant web of deceit made in an effort to conceal the deadly secrets that plague their family.

Zander will do anything to forget his mistakes, including pushing everyone away. He was barely surviving in his self-forced solitude before Ivy Guerra entered his life. The new girl in school, with her pink-striped hair and unyielding curiosity, incites something wicked inside Zander that can only be blamed on his family genes. Now Zander is forced to fight an internal war and make a choice between loving Ivy Guerra and killing her.

Vanessa wants nothing more than to shed the strange powers she wields and be normal. Because if Van were normal, she’d be able to have normal things… Like a relationship with the boy she’s been secretly in love with for years. Unfortunately, her life is anything but ordinary. That boy who owns her heart just happens to be her brother’s kryptonite and a potential liability for her entire family. When choices between love and family loyalty have to be made, Van finds herself faced with an impossible decision.

As if the Roth family needs anything more to worry about, a vicious plot to expose Van and Zander for what they are is uncovered. When it becomes apparent that someone close to them is at the center of this devious plan, the fight to maintain control and keep their cover ensues. It’s a seemingly impossible battle because something is causing their powers to stir stronger than ever before… and it won’t stop until Van and Zander give in to their wicked hunger.

MB's INTERVIEW
Thank you, Mrs. DelSheree Gladden 
When and why do we become too old to read young adult (even mature young adult)?
I don’t think we ever become too old to read young adult books. I still have many of my books from my teen years, and I now share them with my kids. Some of my favorite books are still young adult books. The teen years are filled with a lot of firsts, a lot of new and exciting situations, but not as much of the heaviness and disillusionment that can come with growing up. I think many adults still enjoy YA because it takes them out of the adult world and lets them escape into something a little simpler and exciting. 

Please, tell us more about how the Southwest influenced your writing in general and how influenced Wicked Hunger in particular.

The Southwest is so rich in culture. We have Native American, Spanish, South American, and immigrant influences here. There are so many stories and legends to stir the imagination. I get a lot of inspiration from stories I grew up hearing and those I’ve learned about as an adult. With Wicked Hunger, the Southwest provided a perfect setting for my two main characters. The desert is a good place to hide, but there’s also a lot of superstition and belief in the supernatural in this area to provide an environment where other residents will either pass of some of the strange things Van and Zander can do, or be too wary to get involved. 

How did you choose from which POV to write? What an alternative POV can bring to the story?
When I first started writing Wicked Hunger, it was only Van’s perspective, but I quickly realized that this story was just as much Zander’s as it was hers. The story actually alternates between the two characters. I considered adding in Oscar’s perspective, but he has too many secrets to keep! I’m sure many of my readers would have enjoyed some of the story being told from Ketchup’s point of view, but he already steals everyone’s attention too much as it is!

Wicked Hunger is the first book of the series. What is your opinion about cliffhangers?
I hate to read them, but I love to write them! LOL! Actually, I like reading cliffhangers too. Some people don’t like to finish a book and not have the story wrap up completely, but I like to finish reading and immediately get excited to pick up the next book. My readers give me a hard time for my love of cliffhangers, but secretly, I think they enjoy reading them too! They’re always eager for the next book!

What it takes to create a believable fantasy/paranormal world?

It takes knowing how to balance the fantastical with the everyday. With paranormal or urban fantasy, you literally have to blend “magic” with the real world. You can go overboard on the fantasy aspects, or your readers lose touch with the real world. What I’ve learned to do is find a way to take the fantasy elements, like a myth or ability, and integrate it into what readers are already familiar with. Van and Zander feed off other’s pain and suffering, but it provides them energy they need to burn off just like consuming regular food does. If you can balance fantasy and realism, to readers it will feel like everything you’re telling them it a legitimate possibility no matter how farfetched it really is.

EXCERPT




TOUR SCHEDULE

Having my back turned toward the empty parking lot as I lock up the dance studio is slightly unnerving. In the back of my mind, I know there’s nothing to fear, but I still turn the key quickly and spin around to face the approaching darkness.

I hold myself close to the door, waiting for the feeling to leave me. Several minutes pass before I realize it isn’t going away. I can either stand here all night, or start walking. It’s with a show of false bravery that I take a step forward. As I walk away from the dance studio, I know I’m being silly. My brother, Zander, is constantly telling me that fear is a weakness. I know how to defend myself.

Defending myself isn’t the problem. Controlling myself is.

The walk to my grandma’s house where Zander and I have been living for the past several years is a good five miles away. I was supposed to ask Grandma to pick me up when Zander said he couldn’t, but I thought some time alone sounded better. At least, at the time it sounded like a good idea. Now, I’m not so sure that a fifteen-year-old girl walking home alone at night is smart at all. The fading sun seems to retreat faster than normal. Within ten minutes, I am left skulking along the streets of Albuquerque in full night. My pace quickens.

I know the way home, but in the darkness I feel my courage fizzle. I am practically running past shops with my feet set in the direction of the relative safety of my neighborhood, taking any shortcut available to get me home faster. I’m not the only one out on the streets. Average looking people mill about on the sidewalks, but I keep my distance.

Eyes down, I run. I’m only two blocks away from the cramped little neighborhood where Grandma has lived for twenty years. I am almost there when I lurch to a stop in front of a dank alley filled with scuffling noises and pain.

An unsettled feeling rises in the center of my body. I try to take another step, get away, but I can’t. A muffled scream sends another shot of wretched pain shooting through the air. It’s too much to resist.

Dance bag abandoned, tennis shoes slapping against asphalt, my body powers down the alley independent of rational thought. Fragile bones snap and howls of pain erupt. Delicious satisfaction rushes in as agony fills the damp alley. Everything else is forgotten.



About the author:
DelSheree Gladden lives in New Mexico with her husband and two children. The Southwest is a big influence in her writing because of its culture, beauty, and mythology. Local folk lore is strongly rooted in her writing, particularly ideas of prophecy, destiny, and talents born from natural abilities. When she is not writing, DelSheree is usually reading, painting, sewing, or working as a Dental Hygienist. Her works include Escaping Fate, Twin Souls Saga, The Destroyer Trilogy, and Invisible. The first book in the Someone Wicked This Way Comes series, Wicked Hunger, is scheduled to be released through Clean Teen Publishing on April 1, 2014.


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14 comments:

Lekeisha said...

I read it last week and loved it! Can't wait until book 2!

Joseph Hawkshaw said...

looks very good

stacey dempsey said...

I love the cover , very dark and mysterious looking

Kai said...

Great story of two self-destructive individuals. I would like to see if they can help each other or hurt each other further.

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for having me on your blog today! I enjoyed your questions! They really made me think :)

Kbaby81 I'm sog lad you enjoyed Wicked Hunger!! Thanks for reading :)

Joe and Stacey, I hope you get a chance to read! Thanks for stopping by today!

Kai, that's definitely the question! Will they hurt or help in the long run? Thanks for checking out Wicked Hunger!

Unknown said...

This sounds like a really great read!

Unknown said...

Thanks Ana! I'm glad it caught your eye :) Have a good weekend!

Unknown said...

clean teen giveaway is great they have great books, thank u

Torialeigh said...

thanks for the giveaway

Anonymous said...

thanks for the giveaway! :D

Jana Leah B said...

Looking forward to this one. Thanks for the giveaway.

Unknown said...

I look forward to reading your book. Thanks for the chance. Keep up the good work.

Unknown said...

I love the cover and can't wait to read this one! Thank you for the giveaway and interview!

Karla S said...

I love it,looks great!!(Karla Sceviour)