The Literary Vixen presents…
Joining us today is Billie Jade Kermack! Her debut book, Awoken: A Paranormal Romance Murder Mystery Book One release on January 3rd 2016.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
Some of my earliest memories are of reading, devouring anything and everything that I could get my hands on. I created poems and stories of my own over the years but it wasn’t until I was about 13 when I realised I could actually do what all the authors I loved had done. I had a fantastic teacher at school who encouraged me to pursue my dreams.
What about the genre you currently write in, interests you most?
So my first completed trilogy are paranormal romances with a murder mystery twist. I am a massive horror fan and have always been fascinated with the supernatural. It gave me the opportunity to explore a world that has far more questions than answers, it offered me a freedom of sorts to create a fictional world based on my ideas without too much intrusion from real life. My current book for release is friends-lovers romance with a non-traditional HEA, I’ve loved lending my own brand of humour to the story with this one, as it is intended for a more adult audience than my first series I have been able to play with the characters a little more freely.
Haunted house or corn maze?
Haunted house every day of the week.
Do you ever come up with anything so wild that you scare yourself, that leaves you wondering where that came from?
When I say all the time it is an understatement. For me my imagination plans out an idea as though it is fluid. I have no idea where it is going until I get there, which is part of the fun. I do have an off switch, that little voice in my head that screams at me if I go too far down the wrong current with an idea that maybe isn’t right for my audience or maybe it’s a decision that doesn’t fit the characters personality. Life has a tendency to bleed into fiction so my writing can change with my mood.
Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so who? And what makes them so special.
My favourite character that I have created is the villain in my paranormal romance series. I am a sucker for true crime so putting pen to paper and creating Glen Havers; the serial killer spirit who haunts our protagonist was a dream. The intricacies of building a character I couldn’t possibly relate to on any level meant definitely kept the process interesting.
Do you ever research real events, legends, or myths to get ideas?
I try to research as much as possible but usually it is for an existing idea. Thankfully I’m not yet short of ideas, some that will probably never see the light of day but are there if I ever want to change it up. The smallest of details can help to make the story more enjoyable for the reader, that really bring it to life and make it relatable.
Do you look to your own phobias to find subject matter? Are your stories the products of nightmares, childhood experiences, fantasies?
I definitely think I insert a part of myself into everything I write. My paranormal romance series was a cathartic expression of loss that I feel like I needed to write in order to heal from a childhood experience that is at the core of the protagonists story, it allowed me to relate with my character and I think my writing benefited from that first hand experience. I always have a notebook and pen beside my bed, my dreams and nightmares are very vivid, sometimes too vivid, so I will always note it down when I wake up if I find it interesting enough. The male lead characters, as I predominantly write MF romances, has qualities I would like in a partner, I think that is relatively normal for an author though.
Do you have any fun Halloween experiences you can share with us?
Fun Halloween stories, where to start. My birthday falls on the day before Halloween so every year we have a costume party, they are always fun experiences. Another one of my jobs is as a makeup and SFX artist so I get to play with all things bloody and gory all year round but especially closer to Halloween. It is for sure my favourite time of year.
What advice would you give to other authors?
What advice would I give to other authors? Firstly, there is comfort in numbers, I have some amazing author buddies and we share what we have learnt with each other and offer support to one another if it is needed. It can be lonely being an author so reach out and build your author circle with likeminded people. Secondly – Marketing is not easy, but it is necessary. There are so many great tools online to give you ideas on what, when and where to share your work. And lastly it doesn’t matter if you’ve written the next worldwide phenomenon, not everyone is going to like your book and that’s okay. Side note – Try to shake off the bad reviews because you will get them, your book is for the people that love it, just remember that.
What is the one thing you want people to know about you and your books?
One thing I would like people to know about my books is that I have loved creating worlds that people have fallen in love with and I adore getting to know my readers.
Thank you Billie Jade Kermack for chatting with me! I will include her information down below. Check out her paranormal romance murder mystery series today!
~Synopsis~
Awoken is book one in this paranormal romance, murder mystery series.It’s a modern-day love story that’s more Grimm than Disney; if singing mice and dancing crabs are what you were looking for, this is not the book for you. Seances, time travel, and torture, however – if that’s your thing, you just might fit right in.
Twilight vibes with a splash of horror and some ghost hunting. Perfect for your next young adult read.
Grace didn’t believe in ghosts or demons, she thought magic was something that only lived in the pages of fairy tales.
How very wrong she was.
Hidden away most of his life, Beau had successfully managed to mask his gift from the world. Having the ability to commune with the dead wasn’t exactly the best conversation starter, and that was okay, he didn’t much like people anyway, until he walked back into Gallows Wood and into Grace’s life.
Struggling with the incessant onslaught of nightmares about her father’s untimely death, Grace had accepted that maybe she just wasn’t destined for a happily ever after.
Fate however had a skewed sense of humor. The deeper Grace delves into Beau’s world, the further she wanders from the safety of her own. Plagued by the spirit of a sadistic serial killer long dead, Grace must harness what power she can to defeat him and stay alive. Awakening family secrets that Grace could never have imagined to be true begs the question: Had she been surrounded by magic longer than she had thought?
How far into a world plagued by evil would you go to save the soul of the one you love?
Billie Jade Kermack is an author who lives in London with her family and their crazy dog Gus. As well as being an author Billie Jade is a makeup & SFX artist for TV and film and runs her doll company SIDS DOLL EMPORIUM. She is currently working on a contemporary romance series & has a completed paranormal romance series already published.
The Literary Vixen 