Special Halloween Post: The Scarier, The Better by Merrie Destefano
Renee here, I don't usually post a lot about young adult fiction or paranormal fiction but I love it and probably read just as much in those genres of fiction as I do Christian or historical fiction. Merrie Destefano is one of my favorite writers of adult paranormal/urban fantasy fiction. With her latest release, Fathom, she's written a paranormal tale starring a teen heroine and so far I'm hooked!
For Halloween Merrie has typed up a special post about her love of edge-of-your-seat tales and a bit about Fathom. Grab that Halloween candy, sit back and enjoy! Stay tuned to this blog for my review of Fathom later today! For now, here's Merrie!
~The Scarier, The Better
By Merrie Destefano~
There’s something about being scared that’s a little bit fun. It’s almost like being tickled. As long as it doesn’t go too far, it’s a blast. When I was a teenager I loved going to scary movies. The thing is—the movies back then weren’t like they are now. I went to see things like The Fall of the House of Usher and The Tomb of Ligeia and The Masque of the Red Death. I sat on the edge of my seat while Vincent Price alternated between being the hero and the bad guy. Villains were either caught or punished, fair maidens were saved and ghosts were vanquished.
That’s probably why I almost always add a slight element of horror to my stories. There’s a part of me—that teenage me—that wants to continue exploring dangerous/frightening scenarios in a safe environment. Anything can happen between the pages of a book. Dreams can be real. People can rise from the dead and walk through the front door. Aliens can invade and threaten to take over the world.
Sea monsters can kill the people you love.
When I was writing Fathom, my debut YA novel that released on October 1, I wanted to create something that was in between a ghost story and a contemporary coming of age tale. There are definite elements of horror in the book, but it tends to take a back seat— where it sits quiet, waiting and watching, a shadow that you see from the corner of your eye. Just enough to startle you, but not enough to make you scream.
Nothing is as it seems in Fathom. Like in a horror movie, the heroine (sixteen-year-old Kira) discovers secrets when we do—something that keeps the chill factor going strong. She doesn’t know what’s around the next corner, so neither does the reader.
The edge of your seat was designed for books like this. Fathom would make a perfect Halloween read. As long as you keep the lights on and the doors locked.
Fathom Blurb:
Everything is changing . . . Turning sixteen can be hell, especially if everyone in town thinks your mother killed herself and your sister. All Kira Callahan wants to do is swim, hang out with her best friend, Sean, and ignore the kids who torment her at school. That is, until one day when she gets invited to a party. For three minutes her life is wonderful—she even kisses Sean. Then somebody spikes her drink and some girls from out of town lure her into the ocean and hold her underwater.
Kira soon discovers that the group of wild teenagers who have come to visit Crescent Moon Bay are not as innocent as they seem. In fact, nothing is as it seems—not the mysterious deaths of her sister or her mother, not her heritage, not even her best friend. And everything seems to hinge on the ancient Celtic legends that her mother used to tell her as a child.
Read an excerpt HERE!
About Merrie:
With twenty years’ experience in publishing, Merrie Destefano left a 9-to-5 desk job as the editor of Victorian Homes magazine to become a full-time novelist. Her first two novels, Afterlife: The Resurrection Chronicles and Feast: Harvest of Dreams were published by HarperVoyager. Fathom is both her first YA novel and her first indie published novel. When not writing, she loves to camp in the mountains, walk on the beach, watch old movies and listen to alternative music—although rarely all at the same time. Born in the Midwest, she now lives in Southern California with her husband, their two German shepherds and a Siamese cat.
Follow Merrie on...
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/merriedestefano
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1205132688
Website:
http://www.merriedestefano.com
Blog:
http://www.merrie-destefano.blogspot.com
For Halloween Merrie has typed up a special post about her love of edge-of-your-seat tales and a bit about Fathom. Grab that Halloween candy, sit back and enjoy! Stay tuned to this blog for my review of Fathom later today! For now, here's Merrie!
 |
| Image from Pinterest |
There’s something about being scared that’s a little bit fun. It’s almost like being tickled. As long as it doesn’t go too far, it’s a blast. When I was a teenager I loved going to scary movies. The thing is—the movies back then weren’t like they are now. I went to see things like The Fall of the House of Usher and The Tomb of Ligeia and The Masque of the Red Death. I sat on the edge of my seat while Vincent Price alternated between being the hero and the bad guy. Villains were either caught or punished, fair maidens were saved and ghosts were vanquished.
That’s probably why I almost always add a slight element of horror to my stories. There’s a part of me—that teenage me—that wants to continue exploring dangerous/frightening scenarios in a safe environment. Anything can happen between the pages of a book. Dreams can be real. People can rise from the dead and walk through the front door. Aliens can invade and threaten to take over the world.
Sea monsters can kill the people you love.
When I was writing Fathom, my debut YA novel that released on October 1, I wanted to create something that was in between a ghost story and a contemporary coming of age tale. There are definite elements of horror in the book, but it tends to take a back seat— where it sits quiet, waiting and watching, a shadow that you see from the corner of your eye. Just enough to startle you, but not enough to make you scream.
Nothing is as it seems in Fathom. Like in a horror movie, the heroine (sixteen-year-old Kira) discovers secrets when we do—something that keeps the chill factor going strong. She doesn’t know what’s around the next corner, so neither does the reader.
The edge of your seat was designed for books like this. Fathom would make a perfect Halloween read. As long as you keep the lights on and the doors locked.
 |
| Fathom by Merrie Destefano Copyright 2012 |
Fathom Blurb:
Everything is changing . . . Turning sixteen can be hell, especially if everyone in town thinks your mother killed herself and your sister. All Kira Callahan wants to do is swim, hang out with her best friend, Sean, and ignore the kids who torment her at school. That is, until one day when she gets invited to a party. For three minutes her life is wonderful—she even kisses Sean. Then somebody spikes her drink and some girls from out of town lure her into the ocean and hold her underwater.
Kira soon discovers that the group of wild teenagers who have come to visit Crescent Moon Bay are not as innocent as they seem. In fact, nothing is as it seems—not the mysterious deaths of her sister or her mother, not her heritage, not even her best friend. And everything seems to hinge on the ancient Celtic legends that her mother used to tell her as a child.
Read an excerpt HERE!
With twenty years’ experience in publishing, Merrie Destefano left a 9-to-5 desk job as the editor of Victorian Homes magazine to become a full-time novelist. Her first two novels, Afterlife: The Resurrection Chronicles and Feast: Harvest of Dreams were published by HarperVoyager. Fathom is both her first YA novel and her first indie published novel. When not writing, she loves to camp in the mountains, walk on the beach, watch old movies and listen to alternative music—although rarely all at the same time. Born in the Midwest, she now lives in Southern California with her husband, their two German shepherds and a Siamese cat.
Follow Merrie on...
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/merriedestefano
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1205132688
Website:
http://www.merriedestefano.com
Blog:
http://www.merrie-destefano.blogspot.com
Happy Reading!
Fathom sounds good and scary! Excellent post!
ReplyDeleteIt was EXCELLENT! I hope you can get the chance to read it someday. :-)
Deletexoxo,
Renee
I'm so sampling this one asap :)
ReplyDelete