Author Interview – Mary Maddox

Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?

I found Rad’s character difficult. Once I got inside his head, he got inside mine. Something happened while I was writing the first draft that shook me. During one of my workouts at the gym, a young woman was sitting on a weight-lifting bench I wanted to use. She wasn’t using the equipment; she was busy flirting with a hunky guy who worked at the gym. Ordinarily I might have felt a twinge of irritation. This time I felt a spike of rage and imagined hurting her, just like Rad would. It was a spooky moment.

I found more darkness in myself than I cared to acknowledge. In at least one scene, while he describes to a victim what he intends to do to her and grows more excited with each detail, I realized I was sharing his excitement.

What is your favorite part of this book?

I loved developing the relationship between Lu and Talion.  Lu’s mother died when she was five, and she spent several hours alone with the body. Now her stepmother abuses her physically and emotionally.  Lu ought to be a basket case. But her center is intact. She has a sense of selfhood and the determination to survive. I hope readers will see Lu’s strength and know that Talion and his cohorts must be real entities – not the hallucinations of some mentally ill teenage. But Talion’s nature and motives are ambiguous. He helps Lu but could also harm her. Especially since she loves him. The erotic current between them is pretty obvious, and I enjoyed writing those passages.

Will there be a sequel to Talion?

I just finished the sequel, Daemon Seer. Lu is ten years older when Talion comes back into her life. Now she has the experience to see him more clearly and understand what he is, and he is more forthcoming about what he wants from her. Lisa also returns, pursued by a psychopath who knows she was victimized before. Lu discovers that she needs Lisa’s help as much as Lisa needs hers.

What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing?

Marketing is hardest for me. It requires doing work that runs counter to my nature. But over time I’ve become better at it and discovered that sometimes it can be fun.

What marketing works for you?

Blogging and social media allow me to spread the word about my book. Giving public readings is one of the best kinds of marketing. I only wish there were more opportunities in the rural area where I live. Advertising works– sometimes.

How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?

I write first drafts on my iPad, sitting on the floor. I revise at my desk using the program Scrivener. The iPad has transformed the way I work.

How much sleep do you need to be your best?

Seven or eight hours.

Global Ebook Awards Silver Medal Winner

2nd place for horror fiction in the 2013 Global eBook Awards

Meet Rad Sanders, the most terrifying serial killer you will ever encounter, in a thriller unlike any you have ever read…

Lu Jakes lives with her alcoholic father and abusive stepmother, Norlene, at Hidden Creek Lodge in the Utah mountains. When the beautiful Lisa is sent by her protective parents to stay at the lodge for the summer, Lu makes her first real friend – dangerously unaware that Lisa’s is not the only new face at the resort.

For Lisa has been followed by Rad Sanders, a sadistic killer who has plans for the girls – sick plans that will drag them and their families to the very brink of hell. Rad stalks Lu and Lisa, waiting for his moment, certain that his deadly plan cannot fail.

But unknown to Rad, Lu has a secret. She can see things that nobody else can see: the spirit Talion and his companions. But are these spirits real or a trick of the mind? And will Lu’s special gift help her and Lisa as the killer closes in…

TALION is a gripping, intense tale of friendship, family and dark desires, that blends Thomas Harris with Stephen King.  It is a book that will make you want to sleep with all the lights on – if you can sleep at all.

Rated R for adult language and scenes of disturbing violence.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Thriller / Horror

Rating – R

More details about the author and the book

Connect with  Mary Maddox on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://marymaddox.com/ & http://www.ancientchildren.com/