Clarissa Johal: A Very Paranormal Holidays Blog Hop

Saturday, December 14, 2013

A Very Paranormal Holidays Blog Hop


http://blog.kallysten.net/2013/12/a-very-paranormal-holidays-blog-hop.html

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


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.


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:




36 comments:

Warrior Woman Winmill said...

I like my heroes a little bit wicked. Don't want any too goody goody. Look forward to reading these.

petula.winmill@gmail.com

Eleni Konstantine said...

Hey Clarissa, love the cover for Stuck. Congrats on the impending release!+

Sharon Ledwith said...

Love writing about heroes and villians Clarissa! Wishing you all the best with your upcoming release! Wicked cover! Cheers!

Jessica E. Subject said...

Thank you for the great blog hop! All the best with your upcoming release, and happy holidays! :)

Clarissa Johal, Author said...

Thank you for taking the time to stop by Petula, Eleni, Sharon and Jessica! Hope you guys have a great Sunday, and good luck in the contest! :)

Unknown said...

Hello and thanks for the chance to win Merry Christmas.

AthenaAries said...

Hi, thanks for the great giveaway.

Clarissa Johal, Author said...

Hello, hello!! Good luck on that Merry Christmas! Thanks for stopping by and entering the contest :)

Heather R. Holden said...

Great post! I love complexity in characters, too. Letting them have shades of gray instead of being completely black or white is always so much more fascinating...

Clarissa Johal, Author said...

Agreed, Heather. Thanks for stopping by :)

Unknown said...

Before I forget: Happy holidays! What wonderful stories you have. If I should win, I'll turn cartwheels; I'd love a copy of Between. I'm so glad I found (was led to) your site. :)

Clarissa Johal, Author said...

Thank you, Michelle! You made my evening :) Cartwheels...heehee

Karen Michelle Nutt said...

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

Loved the tag line. Made me want to read more.

kmnbooks at yahoo dot com

Happy Holidays!

Hope you'll stop by my blog for a visit. a href <"http://kmnbooks.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-very-paranormal-blog-hop-kmnbooks.html">KMN Books

Clarissa Johal, Author said...

Thank you for stopping by, Karen! Taking a breath from edits right now...lol Glad you like the tagline from STRUCK :)

Tricia Schneider said...

Loving the sound of your books! They seem just the kind I like to read!

Interest post, too. Now I think I understand why I was always so fond of Captain Hook. :)

Thanks for joining the hop! Happy Holidays!

Clarissa Johal, Author said...

Thank you, Trica! Yes, Captain Hook was always one of my faves too ;) Happy holidays

Unknown said...

Darkeyedvikingessa@gmail.com

Christine Merritt said...

I love characters with a lot of depth and mystery, they fill me up and make me emotionally attached.

Happy Holidays!

Clarissa Johal, Author said...

Happy holidays to you too, Christine! Thanks for stopping by :)

Ashley Applebee said...

Thanks for the great giveaway!! The covers of your books are awesome and very intriguing!
Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to all!!
Ashley A
ash_app@hotmail.com

Unknown said...

Thanks for the giveaway! Between sounds great!

Clarissa Johal, Author said...

Thank you, Ashley! My publisher's cover artists are top notch :) Happy holidays to you, too. Thank you for stopping by, GR. Good luck in the giveaway~

Unknown said...

Happy Holidays and thanks for the amazing giveaway!
elizabeth @ bookattict . com

Clarissa Johal, Author said...

Thank you for stopping by! Happy holidays to you, too :)

Unknown said...

Loved "Between", looking forward to reading "Struck", ready for the release already!

Clarissa Johal, Author said...

Release date--me too! Good luck in the contest, Mikkie :) Thanks for stopping by.

kansassweet43 said...

This is my first visit to your blog. Looks like you write some good stories. Thanks for a chance to win some great prizes.

Clarissa Johal, Author said...

Glad you stopped by, kansassweet43! Happy to share stories with you. :) Good luck in the hop.

Catherine Lee said...

The shadows had been invited...how ominous!

Clarissa Johal, Author said...

Mua-ha-ha, Catherine! Thanks for stopping by :)

Beth Caudill said...

Struck sounds really good.

Clarissa Johal, Author said...

Thanks Beth! Thank you for stopping by for a read :)

Koala Reading Den said...

Thanks for the chance on this giveaway and hope you have a safe and Happy New Year...

Clarissa Johal, Author said...

You too! Thanks for stopping by :) Good luck in the hop

Unknown said...

Your stories sound amazing! Thank you for being in the hope and the wonderful giveaway!

Clarissa Johal, Author said...

Thank you, Kimberly! You made my day. Good luck in the hop :)