Now, it’s time to
create a little hell and get to the good stuff by revealing all of DANIELLE’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 DANIELLE BANNISTER…
~~~
GRACEN: Tell me three things about yourself that we
cannot find on the internet or in your bio?
DANIELLE
BANNISTER: Wow. I’m a pretty open book…let’s see…
1. I live in a
trailer park, yah, lap of luxury here!
2. My husband is
a drama teacher for middle school
3. I don’t like
raw cookie dough. (I know, how can I reveal such sacrilege)
GRACEN: What
hobbies and interests do you participate in when you’re not writing?
DANIELLE
BANNISTER: The stage was my alter before the page, so when I can, I act. It’s
harder though with small children to be gone that long, so my hubby does more
of that than I do. Does wine and coffee drinking count as hobbies?
GRACEN: Do you
have any writing quirks or certain things you MUST have or do before beginning
the writing process?
DANIELLE
BANNISTER: I need to have something to drink beside me. Coffee, Gatorade,
(wine)…something. I drink all the time. It’s crazy.
GRACEN: If you
were plotting to take over the world, how would you do it?
DANIELLE
BANNISTER: I’d take everyone’s technology hostage. I’d rule the world in a
matter of hours.
GRACEN: If you
could make one statement that the entire planet would hear and remember, what
would it be?
DANIELLE
BANNISTER: Leave the Earth in a better place than you found it. Corny?
GRACEN: What
genre do you write and why that genre?
DANIELLE
BANNISTER: NEW ADULT, probably because I LOVED my college years. It was a time
when every emotion was heightened while at the same time, your responsibilities
in the world were minimal. It was a very self-centered time. It’s interesting
to go back and forget about some of the real world stresses!
GRACEN: For those
who are not yet familiar with DANIELLE, can you please give us some details
about the book and/or series?
DANIELLE
BANNISTER: I’d love to. I have written the Twin Flames Trilogy. Two of the
books are out; the third is in its editing phase now. The books are called
PULLED, Book One: First Flame; PULLED BACK, Book Two: A Flame Reborn, and
PULLED BACK AGAIN, Book Three: The Final Flame.
Here are the
blurbs and trailer info.
PULLED
After a freak car
accident leaves Naya Adams parentless and emotionally numb, she walks into her
first college acting class ready to leave her past behind her. Little does she
know what waits for her on the other side.
When Naya meets Etash,
a terribly scarred sophomore, she finds herself inexplicably ‘pulled’ toward
him.
When Etash is cast as
the Romeo to her Juliet, they will both have to resist the undeniable
attraction they have for the other.
As they rehearse
however, they realize just how hard it is to deny their feelings.
“I can’t play Romeo
opposite her! Don’t you get it? I can’t just pretend to love her anymore!”
Naya too tries to hide
her mounting feelings for Etash from her possessive boyfriend, Seth.
As Naya and Etash
fight against the pull drawing them together, they discover that their
connection is too strong to be denied. A connection deeper than either of them
could fathom.
Together they will
learn that this is not the first time they have been ‘Pulled’ together.
Nor will it be their last.
But what will happen
when Seth discovers their hidden flame?
Get Pulled into a love
story like no other
To view the trailer, visit here: http://youtu.be/cUti8j4sWMk
Pulled Back
Some believe that true love never dies. Instead their love is simply, reborn.
What if, on the same night that three souls died, three new
souls came screaming into the world? Tobias, Jada and Hawk.
Two of those souls remain in their tiny town and become the
best of buddies, while the third is moved around by a father running from his
past; a past forgotten only when drunk. What remains of her soul is broken.
When Jada moves into that tiny town, two flames will join
together, while the third burns with rage.
Will their Twin Flames burn bright? Or will their flame be
smothered?
Get Pulled Back into a love story that has been reborn.
To view trailer,
visit here. http://youtu.be/PGEHPjAcyWk
GRACEN: Do you have any new stories in the works and
can you tell us a bit about it/them?
DANIELLE
BANNISTER: I DO! I’m co-author a trilogy
with author, Amy Miles. Here’s a taste of what that one will be about
Netherworld: Book I of the Hallowed Realms Trilogy
Amy Miles and
Danielle Bannister
The Teaser Blurb:
The dead shadow my steps, beckoned by my call.
It is my curse, my destiny.
I am a Banshee, a slave to the dying.
Aed, god of the Netherworld, has chosen me as his
bride, but my heart belongs to another – a mortal whose eyes pierce the veil
between our worlds. Our love is forbidden among the Hallowed Realms.
With Aed, I’d be free of my curse but bound to the
Netherworld for all eternity. With Devlin, I’d risk his life if my betrothed
discovered my betrayal. Can I accept my fate at Aed’s side or risk everything
for love?
Book One,
NETHERWORLD, will follow Taryn as she
struggles to find her place among the dead and the Land of the Living. It promises action, romance and a smattering
of really good Irish mythology!
Taryn’s journey continues in Book Two, HALLOW EARTH, and concludes in the ISLE OF
GLASS
GRACEN: If you
could describe your writing with one word or brief phrase, what would it be?
Please delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you
want readers to take with them when they’ve finished reading your story.
DANIELLE
BANNISTER: Reeling. Ha! I want them to
be able feel and relive that level of
emotion that we all had in our early years when it seemed like the stakes where
so high. I love giving readers and emotional roller coaster laced with suspense
and that edge of your seat feeling. I love making readers NEED to turn that
page to find out what happens next. For me, there is no higher complement than
that.
GRACEN: What, in
your opinion, makes your story unique and what makes it stand out from other
stories in your genre? Think of this as a pitch to convince readers to pick up
your books.
DANIELLE BANNISTER: Well, I think the whole idea of Twin Flames is a unique story idea; the thinking that there actually IS a counter part out there universe searching for YOU. Twin Flames are rarer and more intense than soul mates. Twin Flames are actually to haves of the same soul that can span centuries searching for their missing half. I took that idea of Twin Flames and created a world of what might happen if those two souls actually happened to meet. I think that’s pretty unique.
GRACEN: What’s
the weirdest thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?
DANIELLE
BANNISTER: Researched date rape drugs. Never thought I’d be doing that!
GRACEN: Of all
your books, which character did you have the most fun creating and why?
DANIELLE
BANNISTER: Seth, cause twisted guys are fun to write.
GRACEN: If you
had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would
it be and why?
DANIELLE
BANNISTER: Oh probably Etash. Just ‘cause I’d wanna suck face with him.
Hahahaha.
GRACEN: Which of
your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?
DANIELLE
BANNISTER: Seth. Ha. He’s a bit of an a-hole.
GRACEN: If you were interviewing yourself, what is
the one question you would ask yourself and please give us the answer to that
question?
DANIELLE
BANNISTER: Geeze…um…I guess I’d ask myself to give new writers the best bit of
advice I had on writing. And the answer, of course, is to sit down and write.
Not nearly as easy as it sounds though.
GRACEN: Thanks so much for joining us, DANIELLE
BANNISTER! It’s been a treat getting to
know you better!
Twitter: @getpulled
EXCERPT:
This is a short
bit from PULLED when the main characters have their first play rehearsal
together:
When I
poke my head into the black box theatre, I find Mrs. Campbell on the stage
floor, stretching her graceful body into pretzels. As I glance around the
space, I’m surprised to see that the chairs have been removed from their neat
lines and have been scattered around the place like a stampede of wild horses
had just run through here. This should be interesting. Swallowing my
reservations, I walk quietly into the room, trying not to disturb her.
“Naya!”
she beams.
“Professor Campbell.”
“Please,
call me Elizabeth while we’re working on the show together, alright?” She pulls
herself up and walks over to me.
“I’m glad
you’re here, and early. I wanted to try an experiment tonight and I wasn’t sure
how it would work if you both showed up here at the same time. Since you’re
here first, you get the easy part!” she says smiling at me in that annoying ‘I
know something you don’t know’ way.
She takes
my hand and leads me carefully around the maze of chairs to the back of the
theatre, which normally holds the longest row of chairs. She positions me in a
corner so I’m facing the stage. Confusion spreads across my face.
She
smiles and places her hands on both of my shoulders. “This is an acting game
one of my professors taught me. I have found it works really well for breaking
the ice, which is exactly what I think we need here.” If she is trying to
clarify her intentions with that explanation, she’s failing miserably.
“Your job
is easy. All you have to do is stand here and be quiet.” She gives my shoulders
a gentle squeeze. “I’m going out to the hall to catch Etash before he sees
where I’ve put you.” That knowing grin spreads across her face again. I groan
softly as she weaves in and out of the chairs to the door.
“Ah, ah, ah! No noise,” she warns
before disappearing from the room. What on earth is she planning? She
closes the door loudly behind her and it echoes in the empty room.
With only the dull hum of the
lights above, I’m left alone in silence, which starts to make me nervous.
Several minutes pass before I hear some quiet argument outside. It could only
be Etash and Prof—no, Elizabeth. I can’t help but grin when I hear Etash’s
muffled protests at whatever game she has in store. My grin fades and my body
tenses automatically when the stage door opens.
“Naya,”
Elizabeth’s voice comes from out in the hall, “remember not to move or make a
sound or this won’t work.”
After a
few seconds she comes into view. She’s dragging Etash by his arm into the
theatre. No, strike that. She is guiding him to the stage because she
has him blindfolded. Now I’m completely lost.
Once
Etash is center stage she lets go of his arm and takes a few cautious steps
back.
“Etash, I
have rearranged the chairs in the room. The house chairs are now scattered
about the entire space. I have positioned Naya somewhere in the room. Your job
is to try and find her and not a chair.”
She is
positively giddy at the brilliance of her idea. “But go slowly. I don’t want
you to hurt yourself, but do try and ‘sense’ where she is in the space. When
you think you’ve gotten close, raise your hand. We’ll take off the blindfold
and see how close--or how far away-- you are.”
This is
not a bonding game; this is stupid. The only objective is to make fun of the
hunter, to show how far away he is from his prey.
Elizabeth slides quietly into one
of the chairs on the stage. She pulls her knees up, wrapping her arms around
her legs, as though hiding.
Etash’s reluctance at being forced
into being the guinea pig in this twisted game is written all over his
blindfolded face. After a couple of stubborn moments, he takes a few heavy
steps forward, causing him to crash into one of the chairs just in front of
him. Something obscene escapes his lips, and I hold back a smile. A few more
cautious steps move him toward Elizabeth. She’s pleased at his misdirection. I
shake my head and let out the tiniest of sighs, furious at her for putting him
through this humiliation.
That’s
when the unexpected happens. Etash stops his once cautious movements in
mid-step. Slowly, his blindfolded eyes turn to the exact spot where he
would meet my eyes if he could see. He turns away from Elizabeth, tilts his
head to the side briefly, inhales, then starts marching in my direction, not
hitting a single chair.
“Etash,
slowdown, you’re going to hurt yourself,” Elizabeth cautions getting to her
feet. This was not how the game was supposed to go down.
As he
inches closer to me, a throbbing ache marches in time with my heart, spreading
pain out to my rib cage, then to my lungs. The pressure building inside my
chest is crushing me, making it almost impossible to breathe. I need air; I
need help; I need...him.
Ignoring
all reason or thought, I find my legs moving towards him as he makes his way to
me. I need to rip off his blindfold and look into his dark eyes and soothe him.
I need to reach out and touch his hand to let him know he has found me. But
just as I am about to reach out to take his hand, his finds mine, and in that
instant, the pain is gone, and I am undone. The heat of his touch shoots
through my body with a slow, soothing current. His skin on mine feels like a
shot of morphine, warm and addictive.
He slowly raises our intertwined
hands in the air and whispers. “I found her.”
“So you have,” Elizabeth gasps.
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