(Click on photo to go to tour host's page)
Please
welcome Author Rachel McClellan onto the Road to Hell. Rachel is the author of
FRACTURED SOUL. Other books written by Rachel are FRACTURED LIGHT and
CONFESSIONS OF A CEREAL MOTHER.
Now,
it’s time to create a little hell and get to the good stuff by revealing all of
Rachel’s wicked secrets while on the Road to Hell. LOL Yeah, you wish! ;-D
Grab
your favorite drink, sink your teeth into something decadent, sit back, relax
and enjoy getting to know Rachel…
~~~
GRACEN:
If you could pick one thing about our world to change, what would it be and
why?
RACHEL:
I wish I could empower people, inject them with a vial of confidence or
something. To often people are willing to lay down and moan about their life,
thinking they are owed something by the people around them. This type of
self-defeating behavior will never make the world a better place.
GRACEN:
Kind of morbid, but if you knew the exact moment of your death, down to the
last second, what changes would you make in your life?
RACHEL:
I’d junk all the “fluff” in my life and focus on my family more. We would
probably travel together, see things we haven’t seen, experience something
we’ve never done before…basically we would live life to the fullest, even if it
was only for three days.
GRACEN:
If I picked a television show or sitcom that fit my family, it would be the Addams Family because we’re all a bit
odd and zany. What one television show/sitcom would best describe your family? Or
if none apply, pick a song or album.
RACHEL: Addams Family is a good one and fits my
family well, too, but I won’t steal your answer. J My next best option
would be Cheaper by the Dozen. Even though I don’t have 12 children, the events
on that show have happened to me and my four kids. Just read my humorous memoir
CONFESSIONS OF A CEREAL MOTHER and you’ll know what I’m talking about!
GRACEN:
Pretend you’re writing a book about your life. What would the title be and why?
RACHEL:
WHO’S YOUR BITCH NOW, LIFE? Why this title? Because my life hasn’t been the
easiest (whose is?) and sometimes I want to crawl under a rock and hide away
from the world, but then I remember the characters I write about and, it may
sound stupid, but they give me strength. So do the people around me. I try hard
to take control of my life and not the other way around.
GRACEN:
What song title best describes your style of writing? (Use any song in
existence or create your own).
RACHEL:
Dark and Twisted
GRACEN:
If you had superpowers would you be the superhero or the villain? Why? What
would your name be?
RACHEL:
I would be a superhero because, as a mother, it’s a role I have to take,
although sometimes I’m sure my kids think I’m the villain. J My name would be
Tired-But-Still-Fighting-Super Woman.
GRACEN:
Do you have a guilty pleasure? If so, will you share it with us?
RACHEL:
Lately my guilty pleasure has been a Five Guys Burgers and Fries burger. I
can’t put into words how good it actually is. Serious. Go try one now. NOW!
GRACEN:
You’re stranded on an island, who would you want to be stranded with and why?
RACHEL:
My husband. He is seriously the funniest man I know, and is good with his hands
too (in more ways then one *grins*). He
will have a tree house built and food in my belly in no time.
GRACEN:
Now, let’s get to know you as an author. When did you become aware that you
wanted to be a published author?
RACHEL:
In 2007 on a trip to Ireland. I always wanted to write, but never thought I
could be an author until that beautiful day as I was standing on the tops of
the Cliffs of Moher. I knew then that I had the determination to make my dreams
come true.
GRACEN:
Are there any particular authors that made an impact on you growing up or as an
adult? Did any particular teacher or someone else in your life make an impact
on your writing?
RACHEL:
In highschool I wanted to write like authors Christopher Pike or L.J. Smith.
Also, my mother was a writer and often shared her love of the written word with
me.
GRACEN:
Do you have any “must haves” while you’re writing—besides your computer, of
course?
RACHEL:
I must have my AlphaSmart. It’s basically a keyboard with only four lines of
visible text on a small screen. It’s super light, battery operated (batter life
lasts forever!), and goes with me everywhere. I then transfer my work onto my
computer for editing. I find that I write faster when using it because of the
limited amount of text it shows. If I
write on my computer, I’m always stopping to fix mistakes and I loose my momentum.
GRACEN:
Do you write in a particular genre? If so, what’s the appeal of that genre for
you?
RACHEL:
I love a few genres that are all closely related: paranormal, horror, Gothic,
urban fantasy…I even like humor, and that’s why I try to combine them all into
one great read. J
GRACEN:
Any love/hates as it relates to the writing industry?
NAME:
I love that there is so much information available to us writers online.
Without the Internet, I wouldn’t have learned half of the stuff I know about
writing.
GRACEN:
Do you have a Muse? If yes, what’s his/her name(s). Why do you think some
authors have a muse and other authors don’t?
RACHEL:
I don’t have a Muse, but I do have something that inspires me to write – MUSIC.
I must listen to it when I write, and I truly believes it makes my writing
stronger. One of my favorite composers to listen to is James Dooley.
GRACEN:
If you could live the life of any one
of your characters, who would it be and why? Would you do things differently in
real life than he/she did in the book?
RACHEL:
I would like to be Llona, even though she has a lot of trials. She is loyal and
has a lot of inner strength. If, in real life, I was Llona, I would hope I’d do
the same things as her, but knowing me, I’d make things harder than they have
to be.
GRACEN:
What are you working on now?
RACHEL:
I’m in the process of querying a YA novel titled UNLEASHED. It’s a young adult
retelling of the Jekyll and Hyde story and is deliciously dark. I’m also
writing the third book, Fractured Truth.
GRACEN:
What makes your books stand
out from other books in your genre? (Use this as an opportunity to sale folks
on your book!)
RACHEL: In the
Fractured Light series, I did something that hasn’t been done before, not that
I know of anyway. I gave my main character the ability to use Light as a
weapon, along with a few other cool Light powers. I also introduce new
characters in Fractured Soul that also haven’t been seen before in YA novels. I
think this adds to the story.
GRACEN: Thanks so much for joining us, Rachel! It’s been a treat getting to know you
better!
Find Rachel
Buy Fractured
Light
Buy Fractured Soul
BLURB:
Llona will do
whatever it takes to protect her new found friends and home, but the dark plot
threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for
Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat. This fast-paced tale of love,
loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat
until the last page!
EXCERPT:
“You look
beautiful,” a familiar voice said.
I
turned around. Christian was standing directly in front of me, only a few
inches of air between us. The nearness made my heart race. I lowered my eyes.
“Thank you. You look good too.”
“I
want to dance with you,” he said, breathing deeply.
I
looked up, glancing around nervously. “You can’t. You know that.”
He
closed the small space between us until I was forced to step back. “I don’t
care.” He moved toward me again.
My
cheeks flushed, and I made the mistake of looking into his eyes; they burned
with passion, and the lights above reflected in them, making them even more
intense. He reminded me of a hungry wolf. I stepped back again. “We can’t.”
He
moved forward. After me. I continued backing up to keep our bodies from
touching, but he wouldn’t stop.
I
glanced behind me. Christian was guiding me into the long, white curtains
hanging from the ceiling. “We can’t do this, Christian. You have to stop.”
“Stop me, then,” he
said. He kept pursuing, and I kept moving.
I felt
the soft material part as I stepped backward into it; the silkiness of it
against my back was like a hand caressing my skin. I sucked in air and
continued to move into the white layers until they hid us completely.
Christian
said nothing. His gaze left my eyes and traveled to my mouth, considering it
like it was something he wanted to conquer. My lips parted in anticipation of
what was to come. His fingers found mine, and he tugged my hand forward, pulling my body next to his.
His other arm tightened against my back until I was pressed against him.
Christian’s lips fell
onto my neck. Very gently, he kissed my skin. His mouth continued to trail up
my neck until he found my lips. The kiss started out soft, but all of a sudden
my arms were around his neck, trying to get him even closer.
Fractured Soul
(Fractured Light #2)
Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her
new found friends and home, but the dark plot threatening Lucent Academy, a
school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for
even Llona to defeat. This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the
darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!
What others are saying:
“I love these books! A kick-butt heroine and
a hottie love interest, with a refreshingly original concept. Be prepared—once
you start, these are hard to put down.”
—Paula Cotton, book reviewer at
ReadingLark.blogspot.com
“Fractured Soul is a brilliant sequel,
exceeding even the remarkable first book in the series. It will haunt your
every waking moment between the times you’re reading it, and it will stay with
you long after you’ve finished. It’s an amazingly well written and engrossing
story that I highly recommend—after you’ve read the first one, of course.”
—Cindy Bennett, bestselling author of Geek
Girl & Rapunzel Untangled
Fractured Soul Book Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tP2lbKA0QOs
To read prior interview with Rachel McClellan click
About Fractured Light (Book #1)
Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After
the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too.
She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first
time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.
As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness
its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran
Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole
desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she
can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except,
just maybe, a mysterious stranger.
Rachel McClellan
Rachel McClellan was born and raised in Idaho,
a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she’s not in her
writing lair, she’s partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable,
children. Rachel’s love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first
possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a
whole new world. And what a scary world it was…
