Wednesday 14 November 2012

Whispers In The Shadows by Heather Beck

 
Fall in love, if you dare…

Inside these pages are jilted ghosts who seek revenge, a sexy tour guide with deadly secrets, cunning mermen who emerge from the ocean, a magical forest where love truly can last for eternity, and a new breed of men who are too good to be true.

Filled with chills, twists and boundless passion, Whispers In The Shadows explores the beauty of love along with its darker side.

*Whispers In The Shadows includes volumes 5-9 of the Legends Unleashed series.
 
Interview Wth Heather Beck:
 
Tell us about Whispers In The Shadows.
 
From the Legends Unleashed series comes Whispers In The Shadows – a paranormal romance anthology that contains five otherworldly stories. Below is a snippet from each story.
 


Where Feelings Go To Die
 
While on a working vacation at Black Heart Lake, journalist Ashleigh uncovers a century-old story about a love triangle that turned deadly. Upon coming face-to-face with the vengeful ghosts, she learns the hard way that some feelings just won’t rest in peace. Adding to the danger is the return of Ashleigh’s recently deceased, cheating ex-boyfriend who wants more than just her love. Trapped in a haven for ghosts, her only defence is to find their weakness.
 
Hot Egyptian Nights
 
While on vacation, Hailey falls in love with Egypt’s awe-inspiring beauty, fascinating history and Zade, her sexy tour guide. Hailey’s new relationship is magical until Zade tries to sacrifice her in a hidden pyramid that’s filled with bubbling oil. Hailey’s intense encounter with him the next day reveals that her kidnapper is actually Said, Zade’s twin brother. Since entering an ancient tomb, Said has been cursed by a king who won’t rest until Zade, and everyone Zade loves, is dead. Hailey will do anything to destroy the curse, even if it means betraying Zade.
 
Rival To Survival
 
There’s something special about the Dark Forest, and its secret can be found in the magical mushrooms which forever sustain life. Two hundred-year-old Harv will do anything to ensure that his mushroom supply is abundant, even if it means betraying an old friend. Harv’s passion to live forever is intensified when he meets Scarlet – a woman whose passion matches her great beauty. All he has to do now is convince the skeptical Scarlet to embrace his mysterious, dangerous world and, of course, survive in it.
 
The Truth About Fairy Tales
 
Lila would do anything to find her prince charming, even if it means using a cheesy internet dating service. Matched with the handsome and courteous Phillip, Lila thinks she’s found a man who is the epitome of perfection. When Phillip is ambushed and taken away by a secret government agency, Lila fights back. What she uncovers is an advanced technological prototype that proves Phillip really is too good to be true.
 
Lure Of The Merman
 
A sudden storm strands Bree on the beach, forcing her to take shelter in an old cave. When she falls into a watery hole, she is rescued by the mysterious Sandy who appears from the ocean. Through romantic letters and unusual gifts, Sandy slowly wins Bree’s heart from afar. When she finally sees him at the beach, she boldly kisses him. That’s a big mistake because Sandy is a manipulative merman and Bree’s kiss transferred her legs for his fishtail. As a mermaid, she must navigate a new and dangerous world while preparing for the ultimate showdown with Sandy.
 
 
Which character did you have the most fun writing?
 
It’s really hard to pick a favorite, but if I had to choose, I’d say Zade from Hot Egyptian Nights. He’s fun and sexy, and his backstory is intertwined with fantastical Egyptian lore. I love using Egypt as a setting because it seems so timeless, exotic and romantic. Yet, with its vast deserts and awe-inspiring pyramids, the setting also provides great opportunities for adventures and paranormal mysteries. It’s easy to create such a great character amid this atmosphere. 
 
What was your main source of inspiration and purpose for Whispers In The Shadows?
 
Whispers In The Shadows is the second book in the Legends Unleashed series. It was preceded by What Legends Are Made Of. Like all the titles in this series, Whispers In The Shadows was created from my love of paranormal romances and fantasy worlds where anything can happen. I have strived to write fast-paced and well-developed plots with unexpected twists and multifaceted characters. Another purpose of writing Legends Unleashed was to create strong female protagonists who transcend the ordinary to find a beautiful life. It’s definitely an escapist series inspired by imagination and boundless possibilities. 
 
Who designed the cover?
 
I was responsible for conceptualizing and making the cover. I actually create all the covers for my titles published by Diamond Dust Books, Syren Books and Treasure Cove Books. I love art which is dark, mysterious and, for my older readers, sexy. Paranormal themed covers featuring whimsical forests, stars, mist, gothic flowers, the moon, women in flowing dresses and shirtless sexy men top my favorites list. Since paranormal romance is such a popular genre right now, I love all the beautiful covers that are being designed; I can literally spend hours in a bookstore just looking at them!

How do you come up with the titles of your books?
 
I write a lot of anthologies so choosing a title that represents all of the stories is critical. Since my anthologies always have a collective theme, it isn’t too difficult to come up with a title. For example, Haunted is about ghosts, Journeys Through The Unknown involves supernatural adventures, and Creatures Of The Night features dark, paranormal entities. When choosing a title, I think of words or phrases which relate to the book and then I work with them until I have a title I love. For Whispers In The Shadows, the title was derived from the theme of dark secrets – something that, in fiction, is seductive but also dangerous. Essentially, it’s a beckoning of the paranormal, enticing you into hidden worlds.  
 
Do you see writing as a career?
 
I definitely see writing as a career. It’s not uncommon for me to spend up to fourteen hours a day working on a project, especially if I have a deadline to meet. The amount of time and work I put into writing is on par with or exceeds that of a full-time job. That being said, writing can’t always be a substitute for a “day” job, so it does becomes difficult to balance both. I have a lot of respect for writers who have found success because of their hard work and integrity. It’s a terribly difficult industry, so an insatiable desire for creating characters, plots and new worlds is essential. 
 
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
 
I knew I wanted to be an author at a very young age. I loved books and always dreamt about creating my own worlds and characters. My biggest fascination was with book series because it allowed for extended character development. Writing is extremely natural for me and I don’t believe I chose to be a writer. On the contrary, I feel as if writing is something I have to do. Being analytical and seeing inspiration in everything around me promotes my innate need to weave tales. 
 
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
 
I get a lot of e-mails from readers as well as the occasional letter. The comments have all been very positive. Then again, if they didn’t like my work they probably wouldn’t be writing to me! Readers usually tell me what their favorite books are and often ask a variety of questions. I’ve been asked for an autograph quite a bit and that’s extremely flattering. I always make it a priority to write back to readers as quickly as possible. 
 
Are you working on any books/projects that you would like to share with us?
 
I am currently working on edits for the remaining 20 volumes in The Horror Diaries series as well as writing Assorted Candies, an anthology of literary romance for teens. I have also started writing Siren and Fairy Dust, two young adult novels in the paranormal romance genre. Additionally, I will shortly begin work on What Fairy Tales Are Made Of, which will include the last four volumes in the Legends Unleashed series. On the screenwriting side, I have written several short scripts that are scheduled to go into production in 2012. Unfortunately, the entertainment industry is very unstable so I try not to get excited about a project until it is completed. If all goes well, I especially look forward to watching my award-winning short story, The Gap, come to life. The screen adaptation, entitled Too Sensible For Love, tells the story of Alexa – a hardworking waitress with big dreams who is slowly becoming jaded because of her poor living and work conditions. When she meets a rich man who can seemingly give her everything, she loses sight of her original dream and becomes obsessed with wealthy living. However, wealth has a dark side and Alexa has to learn this the hard way. I always have trouble describing Too Sensible For Love because it’s a really multifaceted story. It’s a dark romantic comedy with social commentary running throughout it.


 

About the Author: 
Heather Beck is a Canadian author and screenwriter who began writing professionally at the age of sixteen. Her first book was published when she was only nineteen years old. Since then she has written several well-reviewed books.

Heather recently received an Honors Bachelor of Arts from university where she specialized in English and studied an array of disciplines. Currently, she is working on two young adult novels and has six anthologies slated for publication. As a screenwriter, Heather has multiple television shows and movies in development. Her short films include Young Eyes, The Rarity and Too Sensible For Love.

Besides writing, Heather's greatest passion is the outdoors. She is an award-winning fisherwoman and a regular hiker. Her hobbies include swimming, playing badminton and volunteering with non-profit organizations.


Heather Beck Amazon Page

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

5 comments:

  1. It's Alana... you know how to reach me! *Crossing my fingers*

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cool. I'm Sherry and my email is sherryfundin69(at)netscape(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  4. Awesome cover! The book sounds intriguing :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for the giveaway!
    Demitra Giote
    adgiote at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete