In case you haven’t seen this, I’m a guest on Teri Polen’s terrific Bad Moon Rising series. Check out the spookiest ghost story I’ve heard. Read some of the other guest’s interviews as well. Happy Halloween!!
I’m a big fan of this author’s Amanda series. I haven’t traveled to all the places Amanda has, but after reading the book I feel like I have. They’re so well-researched they could double as travel guides. I follow this author on social media and get to see adorable pics of her fur babies, but if you haven’t met them yet, today is your chance. Welcome Darlene Foster!
Would you rather visit a haunted house or a haunted graveyard?
A haunted graveyard. (Aren’t they all haunted? I mean, they are full of dead people, right?) I love graveyards and spend a lot of time in them. They are outside and easy to escape if things get tense. You can get locked inside a haunted house. Yikes!
What is the spookiest ghost story you’ve ever heard?
The story about a young couple who are making out in a car when they…
Sorry for my absence but I have been travelling lately and will share all about my travels soon. I wanted to share this amazing review by Teri Polen, who is an excellent writer. This review had me dancing on the ceiling.
Amanda explores the exciting streets of Paris, the fabulous Palace of Versailles and the gardens of the painter Claude Monet, while being drawn into the mystery surrounding the destructive fire of Notre Dame cathedral.
Amanda is in love! With Paris – the city of love. She’s in awe of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, and Notre Dame Cathedral. While there, she gets to work as a volunteer and stay in a famous book store, along with her bestie, Leah, and Leah’s eccentric Aunt Jenny. A dream come true for a book lover like Amanda.
Except, while she’s at the Paris Opera House there is a bomb threat. Then the lights go out during their visit to the Louvre. Worst of all, a devastating fire blazes in Notre Dame. Why does a mysterious man, who claims to be a busker, writer and artist, show up every time…
Today is National Internet Friends Day and I am lucky to have many wonderful internet friends! I am pleased to introduce one of them, Teri Polen, as a guest author. I love her answers to my questions, especially which fictional character she would want to spend a day with.
Teri Polen reads and watches horror, sci-fi, and fantasy. The Walking Dead, Harry Potter, and anything Marvel-related are likely to cause fangirl delirium. She lives in Bowling Green, KY with her husband, sons, and black cat. Her first novel, Sarah, a YA horror/thriller, was a horror finalist in the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Subject A36 was voted one of the 50 Best Indie Books of 2020 at ReadFree. Visit her online at www.teripolen.com
1.Tell us about yourself including something that may surprise us. Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog, Darlene! I’m a multi-genre YA author—sci-fi, horror, and fantasy, a mom of two polar opposite sons, a Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Walking Dead fan (I’m such a nerd), and enslaved to Bond, my feline overlord. Considering my usual entertainment preferences, most people would be surprised to know that I’ve watched Grey’s Anatomy from the beginning. I’m not a Meredith Grey fan—it’s Miranda Bailey and the medical cases that keep me tuning in.
How long have you been seriously writing? Around eight years I think? I started writing while waiting for my son at soccer practice—long hand because I didn’t have a laptop then—and stayed with it until I had a completed manuscript. And it was truly horrible. Once I understood I’d created a monstrosity, I read books on the craft of writing, took classes, and learned just how difficult it really is to write a book.
Where do you get ideas for your stories? I’ve gotten ideas from dreams, billboards, asking lots of ‘what if’ questions, and merging movie ideas, but the spark for my first book came from my cat. Weird, but true. We’d moved into a new house with no previous owners and Shadow, fur bristled while emitting deep throated growls, stared at something on the stairs no one else could see. It started me thinking about how a house could be haunted if it was never inhabited. I gave him credit in the acknowledgements!
What is your writing process? Are you a planner or a panster? I lean more in the panster direction, but I’m constantly struggling to claw my way in the direction of the planning side. I tend to be a slow writer, and I think things would move along considerably faster if I had some sort of outline. I’ve gotten better, but I’m not there yet.
Where and when do you do your best writing? I don’t have a designated writing space. I tend to move around the house with my laptop to whatever space inspires me that day. Afternoons seem to be my most productive time.
What kind of research do you? For my second book, The Gemini Connection, I researched twin relationships and quantum physics. With my newest release, Subject A36, I spent a lot of time reading about genetics and DNA. I took great liberties in those areas with both books, but that’s why I write fiction.
If you could spend a day with a fictional character, who would you choose and why? You nearly stumped me with this one, Darlene. It took me days to decide, but I tried to narrow it down by only considering fictional book characters. I’ve read plenty that fascinated me, but I might not survive the day (I’m a fan of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy novels—lots of dangerous stuff going on). I finally decided on Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter series. I adored his large, loving family, and I’d have a blast hanging out with them for the day. Harry and Hermione would visit, and I’d undoubtedly be the victim of Fred’s and George’s pranks. Maybe I’d even get my own wand for a day!
Tell us about your next writing project. I’m currently working on the sequel to Subject A36, and I swear this book may be the death of me (see above planner vs. panster). 2020 really slowed the writing pace for me, but I’m getting there.
Thanks so much, Teri. Always good to hear from a fellow panster. I have so much respect for planners but I just can’t seem to do it either. What fun it would be to spend a day with Ron Weasley! Great choice.
You can connect with Teri on her Social Media sites:
Planet Tage is dying, and the best hope of saving it is gone.
Seventeen-year-old identical twins Evan and Simon share an extraordinary bond, a trait that’s both useful and invasive. They use their connection in their work at Scientific Innovations. Evan is a Mindbender, someone who enters the minds of scientists to spark ideas, join thoughts, and battle nightmares. Simon is a science prodigy and Tage’s best chance of survival.
Unfortunately, their unusual link often bleeds into their private lives. When Evan discovers his brother is keeping a secret from him, he lashes out and ignores requests to talk, and even pleas for help. By the time Evan tunes back in, he finds their connection severed and Simon missing.
He suffers a terrible case of survivor’s guilt. Moreover, he’s desperate. The fate of the world rests on Simon’s return, and Evan is willing to do anything to get him back—even working with his greatest rival, who also happens to be Simon’s boyfriend.
Evan finds allies among enemies and adversaries among friends. When nothing is as it seems and everything is depending on him, he must explore a dangerous aspect to his twin connection he never knew he had.
If he fails, he’ll lose both his brother and his world.
My 5-star review of The Gemini Connection A great sci-fi/dystopian YA novel. I don’t often read this genre but the idea of twins intrigued me. I was not disappointed. There is plenty of action and some clever world-building, but the character development and the relationships between characters are the stars of this show. The tie between the twins, Evan and Simon, is amazing and the story is written from the POV of both of them. The secondary characters are also interesting and round out the story. Evan is devastated when Simon goes missing, but when he realizes Simon is alive, he will do anything to rescue him and bring him home, even work with his sworn enemy. How this plays out will keep you on the edge of your seat. The author has a vivid imagination and is capable of using it to create an awesome reading experience.
Teri’s other books:
Seventeen-year-old horror fan Cain Shannon thought helping a ghost find her killers would be the supernatural adventure of a lifetime. Now, he just hopes to survive long enough to protect his family and friends from her.
A bet between friends goes horribly wrong, resulting in Sarah’s death. When she returns to seek justice against those responsible, Cain agrees to help her. But when he discovers Sarah has been hijacking his body, he realizes she wants retribution instead of justice.
Terrified of what could have happened when he wasn’t in control, Cain commands Sarah to leave his house – but exorcising her isn’t that easy. She retaliates against her murderers in bloody, horrific ways, each death making her stronger, then sets her sights on Cain. With the help of friends, Cain fights to save himself and his loved ones and searches for a way to stop Sarah before she kills again.
If genetic engineering could guarantee you and your family perfect health and unparalleled beauty, would you pay top dollar for it? Would you kill for it?
Residents of the Colony would. And do.
Only the Insurgents can stop them.
Seventeen-year-old Asher Solomon is a premier operative with the Insurgents. He and his team have rescued countless hostages, saving them from painful deaths in Colony labs as desirable genetic traits are stripped from their bodies.
He’s also suffered more losses than anyone should have to.
Then Asher gets intel that might give his people the upper hand. The Colony is searching for Subject A36. If the Insurgents determine the subject’s identity first, they might be able to turn the tide of the war.
Asher and his team embark on their riskiest mission ever, and the stakes have never been higher. But even if he survives the physical dangers, the devastating secrets he uncovers might destroy him.
I am delighted with this review of Amanda in Alberta: The Writing on the Stone from Teri Polen. I love it when someone is enthusiastic about my home province.
Amanda is delighted to show Leah aaround Alberta during her visit from England. They take in the Calgary Stampede, go on a cattle drive, visit Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, spend time with the dinosaurs at the Royal Tyrrell Museum and explore the crazy Hoodoos.When Amanda finds a stone with a unique mark on it, she doesn’t think it’s important until everyone seems to want it – including a very ornery cowboy. Is this stone worth ruining Leah’s holiday and placing them both in danger? Spend time with Amanda as she explores her own country while attempting to decipher the mysterious writing on the stone and keep it from those determined to take it from her.
This is my first time ‘meeting’ Amanda and while there are several books in the series, I chose this one because I traveled to Calgary earlier this year and visited some of the places mentioned in…
I’m back from a fabulous time in Canada just in time for Halloween. So it’s fitting that Amanda in New Mexico – Ghosts in the Wind is featured on Teri Polen’s Bad Moon Rising blog today. Check out what I think my spirit animal is.
Today’s author brings a book (a whole series!) for the younger crowd. I think her spirit animal describes her perfectly, and these questions may have sparked ideas for two more books. Welcome Darlene Foster!
Would you rather boogie down to Monster Mash or get your groove on to Thriller?
Although Thriller is a great song, I prefer dancing to Monster Mash. It’s from my youth and makes me think of high school dances and all the fun we had. Whenever I hear it, especially around Halloween, I always bop around the house, much to hubby’s embarrassment. I love the line, “Tell them Boris sent you.”
Would you rather be abducted by aliens or a serial killer?
Aliens for sure. They wouldn’t be quite as scary, at least I don’t think so. I imagine they would be friendly and not want to do me harm. They would probably just want to…
Just in time for Halloween, I am part of Teri Polen´s Bad Moon Rising series. I hope you have your costume ready, candies bought and pumpkin carved. If not, That´s OK. Just have a pumpkin spiced latte, sit back and enjoy the post! Happy Halloween!!
Today’s guest is the author of a wonderful series of children’s books. Readers call them ‘delightful armchair travel’ and a ‘fantastic adventure’. As a bonus – they’re educational! Amanda in New Mexico touches on the supernatural, and that’s the book Darlene Foster shares with us today. She also tells a Ouija board story that will send tingles down your spine. Welcome Darlene!
You’re in a horror movie. Are you the final person, the first to die, the comic relief, the skeptic, the smart one, or the killer?
I would be the comic relief. I’m usually the first one to crack a joke when things are tense. This can be annoying to some people who think it is no laughing matter.
Have you ever played with a Ouija board?
My aunt and I played with one when we were children. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. I do…
England. They take in the Calgary Stampede, go on a cattle drive, visit Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, spend time with the dinosaurs at the Royal Tyrrell Museum and explore the crazy Hoodoos.When Amanda finds a stone with a unique mark on it, she doesn’t think it’s important until everyone seems to want it – including a very ornery cowboy. Is this stone worth ruining Leah’s holiday and placing them both in danger? Spend time with Amanda as she explores her own country while attempting to decipher the mysterious writing on the stone and keep it from those determined to take it from her.
Darlene Foster's Blog 