Monday, November 10, 2014

Interview: Spell of Vanishing by Anna Abner



What inspired you to become an author?

Great works of fiction inspired me to become an author. The kind of story that digs its hooks in you and won’t let go, even after the last page. I loved reading romantic fiction so much it was a natural progression to write my own stories.

Do you write in different genres?

Currently, I write paranormal romances. That’s where my heart is. Someday, I may change directions, but for now, I’m sticking to my supernatural stories.


How did you come up with the title for your latest book?

The title to my new release is Spell of Vanishing. It was easier for me than most because I’m terrible at titles. This one had to follow the format of the first two books in the series (Spell of Summoning and Spell of Binding) and describe the major spell cast in the story—Cole Burkov making himself invisible.

What books/authors have influenced your life?

What a great question! So many authors spring to mind. Victoria Holt and Lisa Kleypas inspired me to try writing my own stories when I was in middle school and high school. The biggest paranormal influences on my writing, though, are Kresley Cole’s smart-mouthed immortals, J.R. Ward’s dark and violent vampire underworld, and Patricia Briggs’ vibrant supernatural characters.

What books are in your to read pile?

I am really looking forward to reading The Martian and more Elizabeth Hoyt historicals.

What is your current “work in progress” or upcoming projects?

Currently, I am writing book four in the Dark Caster series as part of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Once that is released in Spring 2015, I’ll compile a boxed set of all four volumes. And then I’ll start writing a brand new paranormal series that I’m super excited about. I hope to release the first book, The Shopgirl’s Prophecy, in Fall 2015.

Do you have to travel much to do research for your books?

Fortunately, I don’t have to travel much to write because I set my books where I live. I’m lucky enough to live in coastal North Carolina and am surrounded by such beautiful and iconic locations that it’s easy to bring them to life in my books.

Who designed the cover of your latest book?

Jaycee DeLorenzo with Sweet and Spicy Designs creates all my covers. She’s immensely talented and very easy to work with.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

The best advice I ever received as a struggling writer was to keep writing. Even after you’ve finished your first book, even if you get rejections, even if your latest novel doesn’t sell well, keep writing. Eventually, all your hard work will pay off.

Do you have a song or playlist (book soundtrack) that you think represents this book?


I always listen to music when I write and I find it not only inspires certain moods, but also keeps me on track. For writing Spell of Vanishing, I listened to the Fray, Florida Georgia Line, Christina Perri, as well as the songs “Say Something” by A Great Big World, “I’d Come For You” by Nickelback, and “Stay With Me” by Stan Smith.



Spell of Vanishing
Dark Caster Series
Book 3
Anna Abner

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Mild Red Books

Date of Publication:  Nov. 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-9914031-3-4

Number of pages: 300

Word Count: 70k

Cover Artist: Jaycee Delorenzo
at Sweet & Spicy Designs

Book Description:

Cole Burkov is a formidable necromancer, but waking from a devastating nightmare spell has left him confused about what’s real and what’s fantasy. Afraid of hurting more of his friends, he casts a vanishing spell on himself, except something goes wrong. He’s not invisible to spirits. He’s invisible to everyone.

Talia Jackson doesn’t want to help Cole cast his vanishing spell. She’s on a mission to collect him for the Dark Caster. But when Cole uses her, against her will, to create the spell she becomes the only human being on earth that can see him.

Together, the unlikely allies will seek out one of the most diabolical casters in the dark cabal—the White Wraith. But when the witch fights back, Cole and Talia discover they may not be strong enough to survive her furious assault.


Excerpt: Chapter One

Rough asphalt dug into Cole Burkov’s knees, but he couldn’t remember why he’d knelt in front of a burned down church in the first place. His memory was in tatters, made up of a pinch of nightmare, a dash of reality, and a whole lot of lost time.
Blood was what brought him back to himself. The old, itchy blood on his hands and the fresh, slimy blood smeared across his left forearm, obscuring the line of scars of varying ages running up his wrist like railroad tracks.
When he cast magic he was always careful to cut shallow slices, but maybe sometime during the night, lost in his muddled memories, he’d cut himself too deep.
He couldn't remember.
Cole sucked in a deep breath, hoping the rush of humid, North Carolina air would stimulate his memory, but it only made him dizzy.
As he gazed up at the charred skeleton of a former religious building, he got the funny feeling he was supposed to be doing something. That he wasn't there on his knees by chance.
A large, ebony crow peered at him from a willow tree at the edge of the parking lot. Crows were bad luck, but one in a churchyard was an omen of death. The bird flapped his wings once and took flight, soaring low over the parking lot before disappearing behind a brick wall.
"Cole!" A familiar ghost appeared in front of him, her face a mask of agony. He had never seen his spirit companion Stephanie so distressed. "I found Dani. She's coming. Can you hear me? She's on her way. Just hang tight and everything will be okay."
Daniela Ferraro. His friend. The witch.
Bits and pieces of the last few days resurfaced. He had strangled Dani in a hospital room and then escaped, hiding out on the streets and in the woods ringing the town. The night before he’d slept sheltered among a copse of pine trees behind Auburn's movie theater. The night before that? Hard to say. He thought the clothes he wore, black scrub bottoms and a yellow smiley face tee, were castoffs from the hospital. Or maybe that was part of the nightmare spell. Maybe he’d never been inside a hospital.
Either way, unable to suffer the guilt a moment longer, he’d come to the Dark Caster's last known gathering place to face him. Or join him. That, too, was vague.
Of course the bastard wasn't there.
But if Dani was on her way it meant one of two things. Either he was still in the nightmare spell and Cole would be forced to kill her again when the evil inside him rose up, or he hadn't killed her and she’d try to stop him from going to war with the Dark Caster.
Neither of those things was going to happen.
“Tell her not to come,” he said. “Tell her not to come anywhere near me.”



About the Author:

Anna Abner has been a writer for nearly her entire life, but some of her day jobs have included teaching, childcare, and real estate. She lives in North Carolina with her family and loves hearing from fans.




@AnnaAbner



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