The Dark Road

Biography

Marissa Farrar is a multi-published horror and fantasy author. She was born in Devon, England, loves to travel and has lived in both Australia and Spain. She now resides in the countryside with her husband, two children, a crazy Spanish dog, two rescue cats and six hens. She has a degree in Zoology, but her true love has always been writing.

Book Description

What starts as an adventure for Sasha Mills turns into a terrifying fight for survival... Emotionally blackmailed by the cold-footed fiancé she hasn't seen in a year, Sasha abandons her life in London to track him in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where he's teaching. While in Bangkok, locals react strangely to her request to travel the following day, insisting it is a not a good day to travel despite numerous posters advertising buses running every day. Ignoring the warnings, Sasha assumes some kind of bank holiday and offers a large amount of money. She secures a seat on the solitary bus heading for Siem Reap. Thrown together with a random group of international backpackers, including the handsome Josh, Sasha is no longer certain of what lies ahead as they cross the Cambodian border and the roads turn into dirt tracks. Soon after, a storm like none she's ever witnessed before descended upon them. When one of their group disappears off the side of the road, Sasha realizes she has more than just the warnings of land mines to worry about. One by one, the travelers lose their minds as they are plunged into the terrifying secrets of the Dark Road.

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Author: Kelvin V.A Allison
Book: Hope & Glory ( The Hope Chronicles)

REVIEW:

The Hope Chronicles are filled with laughter, action, friendship and love. I have to say I enjoyed these two books a lot, It’s the way that it feels so real and at the same time a fantasy, the friendships feel like something I do in real life with my friends, the sarcasm, the joking. The main character is a person who doesn’t see himself from what he is a hero and I love that in characters, he will help you without wanting any credit for it.

In the first book Hope & Glory we meet Jonah Hope as a recently divorced man who works the nightshift as a cop in a store, He can see ghosts but doesn’t tell anyone so they wont think he’s crazy, his life changes in the blink of an eye when he meets Raven the Fallen aka Demon in one week he finds out he is The Apostole and learns about the supernatural, more than what he ever expected. He is needed to save the world and so the Adventures of Jonah Hope begin.


INTERVIEW:

1. Where are you from? 
 -  I am originally from the city of Portsmouth on the south coast of England, the only city in the country that is on an island.

2. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

   - I can't pinpoint an age but i have always written. As a six or seven year old i used to pester my father for money to buy notepads and pens rather than crisps and sweets. I was always writing then, silly kid stuff but still writing lol.

3. What inspired you to write your first book? 

    - I had moved north from Portsmouth to the North Eastern town of Hartlepool and found myself alone for a several weeks while my partner was on holiday. I spent my time wandering the old, historic Headland where i live and just fell into writing Skin Shifters; a tale of an ancient war between heroic were-bears and evil were-wolves with a prophecy and a powerful love story thrown in. Its like Twilight for adults lol

4. How long does it take you to write a book?

- Not long tbh. I can churn out a 300 page novel in 4 weeks sometimes but my claim to fame was writing my novel PANDEMONIUM. It is 568 pages long and i wrote it in 28 days.

5. What is your work schedule like when you're writing? 
- Very hectic. I make sure that i write 2500 words a day. Doesn't matter if they are all good. I go back and sift through it. Sometimes it makes something magical...others it gets deleted lol

6. Do you have a specific writing style?

- I like to think my style is my own but i have been likened to the fantasy author David Gemmell in terms of style and character creation but also to the horror author Richard Laymon in terms of gore and shocks. Both great authors, both sadly missed since their deaths. RIP guys

7. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

 - I am blessed (or is it cursed) with the ability to make a novel out of anything; pictures, photos, songs, conversations i have overheard. I get about ten new ideas a day and have to jot them all down in notebooks. Some i come back to, others i don't. I have a wishlist of about 30 novels i NEED to write still8. What was the hardest part of writing your book?

 - Not getting waylaid by my new ideas. i really have to fight to not stray. This is one of the reasons that i write so fast. When i am halfway through a novel i begin planning the next.

9.When did you write your first book and how old were you?

- Like i say i had moved North to Hartlepool and just crashed into it. it was the first i had stuck with and finished. It was back in 2008 and i was 35 

10. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

 - Hahaha I am ALWAYS writing. I wake up thinking of my stuff and fall asleep the same way. Obvously i have to fit family and friends in as well but they know how important it is to me. When i finish a novel i start another the next day. It is like therapy for me, it keeps my mind active and off my bad past. The only day i don't write is Xmas day and that is because my partner bans me lol

11. What does your family think of your writing?

- I hope they are proud of me, especially my children (15 & 5). The oldest reads non stop and the youngest sits and pretends to write novels like 'daddy does' so i hope i am a good influence.

12. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

- Honestly? That people like my stuff. It is a big ego trip. To have someone get caught up emotionally in a world you have created is the best feeling ever. To have people email me with compliments and such is mind-blowing.

13. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

- I have written 15 so far and 2 roleplaying ssytems. Hmmm...I personally LOVE my novel Shuft the most closely followed by THORNS. However i think my readers prefer the WORLD OF SORROW series (6 novels to date) and the HOPE CHRONICLES (2 novels to date).

14. Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
- just have faith. If you want to write then do it. Don't let anybody tell you that you are no good. Everyone likes different things so don't let people not liking your work stop you. I write for myself because the stories NEED to be written. If you do the same and people do like your stuff it is a bonus.15. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

- I have a good relationship with my readers i think. I put my email address in all my novels and also chat with them on my facebook page. It is great to hear their opinions and emails of shock when they have read a twist or something. I like to think of them all as my friends. I owe them everything.

16.Do you like to create books for adults?

- the majority of my work (except the two series) are very violent and gory and have some sexually explicit scenes so i guess they are just for adults.

17 .What do you think makes a good story?

- Belief. It doesnt matter if there are vampires, demons, aliens etc, if you read someone doing something or having a conversation that you have had it makes it real. I try to get as much mundane stuff amongst the fiction as i can. People like to relate to stuff they know

18. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

 - I was actually born in a different dimension to a family of renegade storytellers. Stories and books were illegal in that world so i was sent here by my family to leave free of oppression and tell my tales. I guess i just wanted to be an author. Damn...i shouldn't really have told you that... 

19. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? 

- David Gemmell (RIP), he was so amazing at creating believable lovable characters, making you invest emotion in them and then killing them several pages later lol. He was a true storyteller and the writing world is a sad place without him

20. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

- Yes, THANK YOU. I may not be the most famous author but i have the best readers. Much love to you all.

The Winner of the ecopy of Devastation and the Paperback of The Hunger Games is..... Angela Angel McCuen!! Congrats!!!

Dawn Hagan - Bookmark 
Kelly Silva Fine - Bookmark 



MUSIC & BOOKS TO DIE FOR FIRST YEAR GIVEAWAY!In celebration of Music & Books To Die For Bday we are having our first giveaway. Winner will get an Ebook of Devastation by Shandy L. Kurth and a Paperback of The Hunger Games. All you have to do is share this picture and write on our wall that you shared. You will have until April 13 to enter.

Make sure you show some love to our contest host Author: Shandy L Kurth

GOOD LUCK!! ♥