Today I have another Brain to Books Cyber Convention author feature. Remember, this great event for authors and readers alike is coming to Goodreads this April, on the 8th, 9th and 10th.
Be sure to check out
all the details and pertinent links for the event here:
Now on with the main event, our Brain
to Books author feature.
Today I have a great interview with urban fantasy/paranormal romance author Tabitha Barret.
Interview With Tabitha Barret
Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.
Hello! My name is Tabitha Barret and I’m currently
working on my Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance series, “The Third Throne”. I’m a graduate of Rutgers University. I met my husband in a creative writing class,
though he was engaged to someone else at the time. (That’s a great story, but it will have to
wait.)
In my free
time, I review books from other Indie Authors and shuttle my kids around to
their Tae Kwon Do classes. Aside from
writing, I like watching movies and TV with my kids. I work a full-time job as a Customer Service
Rep for a door hardware company. I know
more about multipoint door hardware than I care to admit.
I am new
to being a published author, though I’m not new to writing. I tried writing my first novel in high
school, but sadly I was never happy with the final draft. After that, I stuck to short stories until I
wrote the basis for my current series. Though
I had the wrong genre and had a hard time making the story work, I never gave
up on the main idea. 20 years later, I
found my genre and put my characters to work.
Could you tell us a bit about your latest book?
My current
book, The Third Throne: Angel of Vengeance, is the third installment in my award-winning
Third Throne series. (In all, there will
be twelve books in the series.)
When a
dangerous drug lord escapes from the Realm of Nightmares in Hell, he finds a
way to raise his former gang members from the dead in an effort to seek revenge
against his enemies. Anjali must hunt
the prisoners and drag them back to Hell.
She will enlist the help of a handsome mortal who has more knowledge of
her world than he should. Together, they
will try to stop a war that could obliterate an entire city.
Balthazar,
the Angel of Vengeance, has suffered at the hands of Lucifer and the other
Predznak for centuries. He blames the
absence of his Master, Anjali, for his pain.
He made a promise long ago to kill his loathsome master. Hatred and anger have clouded his mind and
his only salvation may come from the very person he is desperate to kill.
Can Anjali
protect herself from Balthazar’s need for retribution while keeping a horde of reanimated
corpses from causing chaos in the streets?
Can she unlock the mystery surrounding the unusual appearance of the undead
creatures?
Of all the books you've written, do you have a favourite?
My
favorite book is my second book, The Third Throne: Angel of Death. It’s the first time that really felt a story
coming together. The first book was
difficult because I had to create all the groundwork for the series and
establish the world, the main characters, and the rules of the world. I didn’t have as much fun because I didn’t
have my entire lineup of characters to play with.
By the
time I started the second book, I was able to write for Alazar, my Angel of
Death, who is brash and sassy, and my lead male Derick, who is sweet and
kind. I was able to move into a new
landscape and explore a castle in Romania.
I liked the mortals I created called the Spirit Experts, who just wanted
to find proof of the afterlife and spirits.
Unfortunately, a dangerous Forgotten Angel has other plans for
them. My heroine, Anjali, has to find a
way to keep them safe while trying not to fall in love with Derick. I love their relationship and had a hard time
leaving the story behind to move to the next book.
Why did you decide to write in the Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance genre?
I’m a
sucker for a good romance, but I like the added layer of danger when it
involves paranormal creatures. I love
werewolves, vampires, fallen angels, witches, and ghosts. I have always been drawn to darker creatures,
though I don’t enjoy horror. I like it when
the characters fight to be redeemed in some way because they believe they are
unworthy of love due to their dark nature.
Give me a dangerous male who believes they are beyond redemption and a
female who can see past their faults, and you have my attention. Give him fangs, fur, or black wings and I’m
all in. I write what I enjoy, so I
framed my series around Fallen Angels who have suffered from the sins they
embody and instead of the tempting mortals as was intended, they are now
pushing mortals past their limits. Can
they be redeemed? I certainly hope
so! Yet, in my stories, Anjali is worse
than all of the Fallen Angels put together.
She is the Bringer of the Apocalypse, destined to end the world. Can she be redeemed when love finds her?
How do you
research your books?
Google,
Google, Google. I’m convinced that I
must be on some kind of watch list. I
write about Hell, zombies, ghosts, drug lords, and werewolves. I research guns, prisons, and haunted castles. My browser history alone would scare most
people. I would have never been able to
write this series without endless information that comes from a search engine.
Do you have any
amusing writing stories or anecdotes to share?
The best
story I have comes from a co-worker of mine.
She had purchased my first book and brought it to the beach with her. Her male cousin asked her what she was
reading. The next thing she knows, her
cousin was sitting under a towel reading my book. She was surprised because he had never shown
any interest in reading before. When she
was ready to leave, she asked for the book back. He refused to give it to her and said that he
was keeping it. She made him pay for the
book on the spot and she ordered a new book.
He finished the book and the cover was so bent up that it was hardly
recognizable. Apparently, I am his new
favorite author.
Did anything
surprise you about the process of writing your book?
It always
surprises me when my stories write themselves.
I started writing the first three books at the same time. I found that it helped me build the world in
the first book when I knew what I needed for future books. I was writing a scene for book three and one
small comment changed everything. My
main character, Anjali, resides in the Hall of Mirrors. As far as I knew, the room was created for
her and was dormant before she arrived in Hell.
While being held hostage, her Angel of Vengeance drags her through the
room and asks how she had managed to get the blood out of the floor and remove
the terrible smell. WHAT?? It dawned on me that someone had owned the
room before her. In fact, two different
people had lived in the room. Two new
characters (enemies) were born and with them a whole lot of drama! Had I not written that line in book three,
books one and two would have been very different. Apparently, my mind knows more of the story
than it’s willing to tell me!
What did you enjoy most about writing your book?
For book
three, Angel of Vengeance, I enjoyed writing about my male lead Calin. He is so tortured and scarred that he feels
empty inside. I love watching him open
up to Anjali and deciding if he is worthy of her love. He is a strong man who never backs down from
a fight, yet when it comes to women he is so unsure of himself. Guns he understands, but women are a
mystery. I loved writing his thoughts
about their encounters. It broke my
heart to learn about his self-loathing.
He’s one of those characters that I wish I could just hug.
What did you find most challenging about writing your book?
My biggest
challenge was creating enough characters to fight a war. In the beginning, I had a few zombies, but I
was told by someone that I needed enough for an army. An army?
That’s a lot of zombies, and worse, mine are intelligent, indestructible
zombies called revenants. To battle
them, I had to add more Celestial Warriors to my lineup. Instead of three Warriors, I had to create
around twenty. I had to figure out their
hierarchy and titles. It was brutal, but
when I was done, I was happy with the scenario.
What’s your next project? Any upcoming book secrets you
care to reveal?
My next
project is The Third Throne: Angel of Fear.
An enemy from book one comes back in a big way. Hel was promised Lucifer’s throne, but was
denied when their deal fell through.
Instead, she remained imprisoned in the Hall of Shadows alongside her
brethren, the other Germanic gods. Now
it is time to fulfill her vendetta and take over Hell. Her brother, Fenris, decides to enact his own
plan and escapes to the Mortal Realm to destroy all the mortals by turning them
into werewolves. Fenris makes a mistake
by turning Riley into one of his pack leaders.
Riley is stronger of mind and body than Fenris expects. Riley resists his commands and would rather
follow the beautiful woman who claims she can free him from Fenris’ hold.
The Third Throne: Angel of Vengeance
When a dangerous drug lord escapes from the Realm of Nightmares in Hell, he finds a way to raise his former gang members from the dead in an effort to seek revenge against his enemies. Anjali must hunt the prisoners and drag them back to Hell. She will enlist the help of a handsome mortal who has more knowledge of her world than he should. Together, they will try to stop a war that could obliterate an entire city.
Balthazar, the Angel of Vengeance, has suffered at the hands of Lucifer and the other Predznak for centuries. He blames the absence of his Master, Anjali, for his pain. He made a promise long ago to kill his loathsome master. Hatred and anger have clouded his mind and his only salvation may come from the very person he is desperate to kill.
Can Anjali protect herself from Balthazar’s need for retribution while keeping a horde of reanimated corpses from causing chaos in the streets? Can she unlock the mystery surrounding the unusual appearance of the undead creatures?
Buy links for The Third Throne Series:
Author Bio:
Tabitha Barret is an Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance author who lives in New Jersey with her supportive husband, two amazing children, and three insane dogs. She met her husband in Creative Writing class in college, though it took a little convincing for him to ask her out. In her free time, of which she doesn't have much, she reviews books by other authors, and writes a blog about tips and suggestions for future authors trying to publish their works. She is currently working on her award-winning "Third Throne" series.
Website: http://www.thethirdthrone.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TabithaBarret
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TabithaBarret
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/thethirdthrone
Goodreads Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24938679-the-third-throne
Blogger: http://tabithabarret.blogspot.com/
2 comments:
Great interview. Lots of insights into how this amazing series was born!
Glad you enjoyed it.
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