Welcome to the Virtual Book Tour for BETWEEN!

* Follow the Tour *

Read Exclusive Excerpts, Interviews & Reviews 
Enter the Giveaway

BETWEEN is a “haunting” paranormal novel that will have you on the edge of your seat!
Second Place - Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2012 

How far would you go to redeem yourself?

About BETWEEN:

After a devastating accident, Lucinda moves to a small town in an attempt to start over. Unable to escape her grief, she is plagued by haunting nightmares. Just as she fears she’s spiraling out of control, two newcomers move into the coastal town. Lucas is protective and caring, and she feels an immediate connection. The other stranger is more of a worry. Though everything about Cronan warns her to keep her distance, Lucinda is attracted to him in a way she can’t ignore.

Drawn into a bitter tug-a-war, Lucinda is pulled into a dangerous twist of past and present events. She discovers the two men are locked in not only a battle for her life...but a battle for salvation.

Book Details:

Title: BETWEEN
Author: Clarissa Johal

Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Musa Publishing 

ISBN: 978-1-61937-459-1
Cover Artist: David Efaw

Number of Pages: 300

Purchase Links:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Musa Publishing

About the Author:

Clarissa Johal has worked as a veterinary assistant, zoo-keeper aide and vegetarian chef. Writing has always been her passion. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing or taking photographs of gargoyles. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray animal that darkens the doorstep. One day, she expects that a wayward troll will wander into her yard, but that hasn’t happened yet.

Find Clarissa Online:

Author Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter @ClarissaJohal
Goodreads
Pinterest

Amazon Author Central

*Member of the Author's Guild

Coming May 19, 2015 from Permuted Press

VOICES, a paranormal psychological horror

STRUCK

(2014) Musa Publishing

*Indie Book of the Day Award

*Nominated for the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2014

BETWEEN

(2012) Musa Publishing

*Second place in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2012

*Paranormal Reads gives BETWEEN 4 out of 5 Bats

PRADEE

(2010) CreateSpace

*Second round finalist in Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award Contest 2012

Short stories:

PIGEONS
Susurrus Literary Journal

THE ROPE
Susurrus Literary Journal

Non-Fiction:

A WAY OF LIFE
The Sacramento Bee newspaper

Praise for BETWEEN:

Paranormal Reads gives BETWEEN 4 out of 5 Bats

Escape Into a Book "I loved how original the idea was for this book, I haven't read a book like this one...fast paced and kept my interest till the very end."

MommaSez "Creepy, scary, haunting–just up my alley...gothic romance that makes the hair stand up on my neck!"

Musings from an Addicted Reader "It was haunting, unpredictable, and intriguing. All the characters were unique and draw you in from the first chapter. Excellent read."

Shut Up & Read "I love a good ghost story, and this one did not disappoint...I've heard the saying painting a picture with words, and that is exactly what the author does here. Each sentence is vivid and alive."

Happy Tails and Tales "I would recommend it to my fellow ghost lovers, Gothic lovers, and historical paranormal lovers alike. There are some interesting paranormal characters...I wasn’t expecting them...a really well done plot twist. "

Demons Do it Better "Between kept me guessing. I had no clue where the story was going to end but I made a couple of guesses along the way and I was wrong."

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How did you come up with the idea for BETWEEN?

Three years ago, I was working on a sequel to a fantasy novel when I had this weird “calling.” Two characters came to me in a rush; Lucas and Cronan from BETWEEN. They weren’t fantasy characters nor they didn’t fit into what I was writing but they wouldn’t go away. I kept setting them aside but they’d come back, stronger than ever. I put the fantasy sequel on hold, wrote non-stop for a month, and finished the first draft. That never happens! It usually takes me months to finish a first draft. A year later, my edits were finished, and two months later, BETWEEN was picked up by Musa Publishing. I’ve got my feet firmly planted in the Otherworld now, the ideas come faster than I can write them down.

What first inspired you to become a writer? And what compels you to continue your career as an author?

I wrote my first short story in grade six. I was asked by the teacher to read it aloud to the class, which terrified me. After I was finished, I realized that I actually had everyone’s attention! I was shy and we moved every year, so I was always the new kid. When you’re in that situation, it’s kind of like being invisible. Finding my voice through story-telling made me realize how powerful writing could be. As far as continuing—truthfully? I think I’d go nuts if I didn’t write.

What made you choose the genre of paranormal gothic horror?

I started out writing fantasy fiction. I was working on the second installment to my PRADEE series when there were two characters that kept showing up on the page, over and over. They didn’t belong in fantasy novel, nor did they belong in my story! But their backstory came to me so vividly, that I set aside my series and wrote my first paranormal novel, BETWEEN. I’ve been pulled into the Otherworld permanently now. The ideas come faster than I can write them down.

Follow the Tour:

Sapphyria's Book Blog

Enter the Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR STOPS

February 1  ~ Tour Kick-Off  ~ Sapphyria's Book Reviews

February 2 ~ Exclusive Excerpt ~Dreamland Teenage Fantasy

February 3 ~ Tour Schedule/Spotlight ~ Clarissa Johal

February 4 ~ Spotlight ~ Sara Daniel Romance

February 5 ~ Review ~Vanessa Kings' Books

February 6 ~ Non-Exclusive Excerpt ~ Saph's Book Blog

February 6 ~ Spotlight ~ Vanessa Kings' Books

February 6 ~ Spotlight ~ Babs Book Bistro

February 9 ~ Review ~ Author Sandra Love

February 10 ~ Spotlight ~ Saph's Book Blog

February 11~ Spotlight ~ Girl with Pen

February 12 ~ Exclusive Excerpt ~ Tea Talks

February 13 ~ Spotlight ~ Rita Monette, Tale from the Bayou

February 16 ~ Spotlight ~ Word Forward

February 17 ~ Exclusive Excerpt ~ LeAnn's Book Reviews

February 18 ~ Exclusive Excerpt ~ An Opener's Closing

February 19 ~ Exclusive Excerpt ~ Are You Afraid of the Dark?

February 22 ~ Exclusive Excerpt ~ Author Carol Browne

February 20 ~ Review ~ A Bookaholic's Fix: Feeding the Addiction

February 23 ~ Exclusive Excerpt ~ Babs Book Bistro

February 25 ~ Spotlight ~ The MissPhyre Library

February 26 ~ Non-Exclusive Excerpt ~ Saph's Book Blog

February 27 ~ Exclusive Author Interview ~ Kerry Alan Denney is The Reality Bender

Tour Coordinated by:

~ Amber M. ~

Promotions Specialist and Media Contact at Musa Publishing amber.musa.ps@gmail.com

Owner of Sapphyria’s Book Promotions saphsbookblog@gmail.com

BETWEEN is looking for Blog Tour Hosts!

Looking for blog tour hosts for my paranormal novel BETWEEN 

Sapphyria's Book Reviews is hosting my blog tour February 2015.

If you're interested, please follow THIS LINK

*Rafflecopter Contest: One eCopy of BETWEEN in the format of choice
Contest closes at the end of February and winner announced March 1st

How far would you go to redeem yourself?

As a young girl, Lucinda was able to see spirits, a gift that didn't come without its difficulties. Now, a dedicated young veterinarian, she is committed to the idea that every life can be saved.
After a devastating accident, Lucinda tries to escape her past by moving to a small town. There, she meets a newcomer and feels an immediate connection with him. But there is another mysterious stranger to the small town, one that stirs within her a mixture of unease and desire.
As Lucinda is drawn into a bitter tug-a-war from the forces around her, she is likewise pulled into a dangerous twist of past and present events. Forced to make difficult choices, she finds that the two men are locked in not only a battle for her life...but a battle for their salvation.


*Second place - Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2012
*Paranormal Reads gives BETWEEN 4 out of 5 Bats

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Musa Publishing

Reviews

Escape Into a Book "I loved how original the idea was for this book, I haven't read a book like this one. I loved that this book was fast paced and kept my interest till the very end."
MommaSez "Creepy, scary, haunting–just up my alley...gothic romance that makes the hair stand up on my neck!"
Musings from an Addicted Reader "It was haunting, unpredictable, and intriguing. All the characters were unique and draw you in from the first chapter. Excellent read."
Shut Up & Read "I love a good ghost story, and this one did not disappoint...I've heard the saying painting a picture with words, and that is exactly what the author does here. Each sentence is vivid and alive."
Happy Tails and Tales "I would recommend it to my fellow ghost lovers, Gothic lovers, and historical paranormal lovers alike. There are some interesting paranormal characters...I wasn’t expecting them...a really well done plot twist. "
Demons Do it Better  "Between kept me guessing. I had no clue where the story was going to end but I made a couple of guesses along the way and I was wrong."

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Very Paranormal Holidays Blog Hop

Enter the Contests (at the end of this post) to win: 

an ecopy of BETWEEN

OR

an ecopy of STRUCK (coming January 17th)

(and) an ecopy of COOKING WITH MUSA from my publisher
All in the format of your choice!
I'll post the winner on December 31st

Also Enter the BIG Contest to win a

Kindle Fire HD, 7", wi-fi, 16GB (no 'special offers' aka ads)

Falling for the Villain
by Clarissa Johal

Heroes and villains. Writing paranormal and gothic horror requires using both, but I cringe at those character stereotypes. In my opinion, they are in the eye of the beholder. Aside from that, I’m not so sure that a character can be 100% hero or villain. 

If you want interesting, complex characters, that is. 

Let's define hero and villain...and then proceed to rip those definitions apart. Just for fun.

Hero: a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.

*yawn*
Ignoring the obvious issue with defining hero as a man--courage, ability and brave deeds can go either way. I've read plenty of villainous characters who are quite brave. Let's use Captain Hook from Peter Pan as an example. It takes a lot of bravery to go against a boy who feels, "to die would be an awfully big adventure." Not only have the highest stakes been removed, but it makes you wonder where Peter's head was at. But the brave Captain Hook forged on and was eaten by a crocodile in the end. So sad.
We are left then, with "noble qualities." 

Noble qualities: an exalted moral or mental character or excellence.

That boils down to moral--a distinction between right and wrong. Was Captain Hook moral? He was obsessed with "good form" and being fair, all of which point to moral. Peter, on the other hand, was abducting young children from their bedrooms and would "thin" them out (ie. kill them) when they got too old. Hm. Doesn't sound moral to me.

So if the definition of hero is dodgy, let's talk about villains instead. They are my favorite characters to write, after all. *evil laugh* I fall for them every time. 

Villain: A character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot.

Evil: morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked. 

Pretty cut and dry. Immoral is the opposite of moral, that good vs. bad thing...but completely in the eye of the beholder.
Did Peter feel he was noble, moral and justified in his actions? Of course he did! Did Captain Hook feel the same about his own actions? That would again, be a yes. So which was the hero, and which the villain? Makes you wonder...and also makes for interesting and complex literary characters.

While I understand the need for people to have their heroes and villains, I like to make people uncomfortable with that concept. One never knows which is which in my novels…and it’s all in the eye of the beholder.

Now onto the fun stuff...

BETWEEN 

How far would you go to redeem yourself?

As a young girl, Lucinda was able to see spirits, a gift that didn't come without its problems. Now, a dedicated young veterinarian, she is committed to the idea that every life can be saved.

After a devastating accident, Lucinda tries to escape her past by moving to a small town. There, she meets a newcomer and feels an immediate connection with him. But there is another mysterious stranger to the small town, one that stirs within her a mixture of unease and desire. 

As Lucinda is drawn into a bitter tug-a-war from the forces around her, she is likewise pulled into a dangerous twist of past and present events. Forced to make difficult choices, she finds that the two men are locked in not only a battle for her life...but a battle for their salvation.

*Second place in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2012

Excerpt from BETWEEN

BETWEEN buy links:
Amazon.com
Barnesandnoble.com 

Musa Publishing 

STRUCK

The shadows hadn't been waiting. 
The shadows had been invited. 

After a painful breakup, Gwynneth Reese moves in with her best friend and takes a job at a retirement home. She grows especially close to one resident, who dies alone the night of a terrific storm. On the way home from paying her last respects, Gwynneth is caught in another storm and is struck by lightning. She wakes in the hospital with a vague memory of being rescued by a mysterious stranger. Following her release from the hospital, the stranger visits her at will and offers Gwynneth a gift--one that will stay the hands of death. Gwynneth is uncertain whether Julian is a savior or something more sinister... for as he shares more and more of this gift, his price becomes more and more deadly.

Excerpt from STRUCK

*Coming from Musa Publishing January 17, 2014

Author Bio:

Clarissa Johal has worked as a veterinary assistant, zoo-keeper aide and vegetarian chef. Writing has always been her passion. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing or taking photographs of gargoyles. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray animal that darkens the doorstep. One day, she expects that a wayward troll will wander into her yard, but that hasn’t happened yet.

Author Website

Join me on Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter the Big Contest to win a Kindle Fire

Authors Kallysten and Tricia Schneider organized this Very Paranormal Holidays Blog Hop to share their love for paranormal romance, help you discover new authors, win books, prizes... and maybe a brand new
Kindle Fire!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Please visit the other bloggers participating: