An Interview with Author JD Stroube

It's August. It's hot. Not to worry, because we have a cool new author here today. Please welcome JD Stroube, author of Caged in Darkness, book one of the Caged series. 


**One lucky commenter will win an e-book copy of this dark fantasy novel. Just leave your email addy, and I'll draw a name one week from today!**


Here's the scoop on it:

Buy it HERE!

A witch raised in a cage of darkness...

Savannah Cross was born into a life of isolation and abuse. As a child, she witnessed her parents perform acts of malevolent evil, and now feels permanently tainted by their dark deeds.

When a coven discovers a tear stricken child, wounded on their elders lawn, they offer her a sanctuary she has never known. Savannah spends the next several years shattered, continuously looking over her shoulder, waiting for the darkness to claim her.

On her 16th birthday, Savannah’s life takes a drastic turn.She is consumed by overwhelming power that forever alters her emotionally and physically.

She must choose between two loves; the one who taught her to smile or the darkly seductive stranger who tempts her towards another path. Savannah must decide between the coven that was her haven and another one vying for her initiation. Just as Savannah begins to grasp what fate has in store for her, an evil looms over her loved ones; coming to claim an unbreakable debt.

How will she choose and survive the greatest evil she has ever witnessed... long enough to have a choice to make?


Thanks for stopping by, JD! Please tell us a little about yourself--where you're from and what you do when you're not writing dark fantasy tales.


Hi! I’m from Illinois. I moved around a lot until I was nine years old, when I settled in Countryside, IL. I currently live in Naperville, IL. It’s such a beautiful town! I am happily married to the greatest husband in the world (He treats me like a queen). I’m a psychology major and I used some of that knowledge when I created Savannah for Caged in Darkness. When I’m not writing, I am teaching myself how to do photomanipulation. You can see my work on my website. J I also love to read on my Nook and watch television. When I am feeling down, I usually read Witch Fire by James Clemens, visit animals at shelters/shops, or feed the ducks at Graue Mill.


Tell us now about the Caged series. What spawned this idea and did you do any special research into witchcraft or the occult when you wrote it?


A very small percentage of the population has lucid dreams, and I am part of that percentage. That is usually where my ideas come from. Sometimes I get an idea from something random, such as a song or commercial. Caged started as a dream and evolved into a whole new world. Honestly, my original idea was completely different from the final product. I have always found witches and the Wiccan religion to be interesting. I’ve enjoyed reading about it since I was in junior high, which means I already had the knowledge stocked in my mind. J I knew about Divination from when I was a child. My great grandmother taught my grandmother, who taught my mother. It’s probably what sparked my curiosity about Wicca.


I know a lot of writers use what they know to influence their work. Has being a psychology major influenced your writing, and if so, how?


Yes! Being a psychology major has made a huge impact on my writing style. Savannah has a horribly dark past. I take that into account when she thinks about something and the way she reacts to situations.

Back Cover

You have an awesome cover, and I've checked out your cover artist, Regina Wamba. How did you come to meet her, and will you be working with her on your subsequent books?


Regina and I met through Goodreads. We became friends and she offered to do my cover when she learned I was publishing my books. She has done the covers for my next three books as well. I hope that she will continue to do all of my future covers.


Are all of your series in the dark fantasy category? Or will you be delving into other genres?


I like to read many genres and my writing reflects this. Mostly, I will be sticking to dark fantasy, but I will occasionally write in other genres. After Caged, I have a few books lined up. The first is an Urban Fantasy series called Hellhounds. The second is a Paranormal Romance book called The Seven. The third is an Epic Fantasy series called Obsidian. I have some other ideas in the works, but nothing else concrete.


Everyone gets a random question when they come here. Ready for yours? What article of clothing most closely describes your personality?


Wow, I’m not really sure how to answer this one. I suppose it would be a wrap, because they are comforting. I tend to take one with me, because no matter what the weather, I know I can rely on it to keep me warm and still feel good about how I look.


Now, Ms. Stroube, would you kindly share with us an excerpt from Caged in Darkness?

The door opened into a dark foyer with a small den to the right and a large dining room to the left. I thought that once I was inside, the panic would consume me, but instead I felt detached. I couldn’t hear the younger version of me screaming in horror or my parents’ victims begging for mercy. The house was barren, and I was vacant of emotion. My parents had taken everything from me. They hadn’t even left me enough to react to the destruction of my innocence.

The den was where my cage had been kept; it was gone now. Most of the furniture had been sold, but a few items remained. The books were still housed in wall sized bookcases, my parents’ altar was still in the dining room, and a rocking chair leaned in the far corner of their library. These were the only pieces of evidence that someone had lived here.

Thank you so much for coming to Unwritten today, JD! And I wish you much success. 


**Remember to leave your e-mail addy like mystiparker (at) yahoo (dot) com for your chance to win a free e-copy!**


For more information on JD Stroube and her work, please visit:


Website: www.jdstroube.weebly.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4846190.J_D_Stroube
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/JD-Stroube/186338091413684 
Cover Artist Regina Wamba: http://www.maeidesign.com/