Monday, June 16, 2014

Interview with Christopher Carrolli, author of The Third Eye of Leah Leeds

Hiya peeps! Melange Books took a chance on me about five years ago and opened the door to make my publishing dreams come true. They've given many authors that chance since then, so I wanted to give props to Melange this month by interviewing several of their authors. You'll find some great insights, tips, and new books to read along the way. Enjoy!

Where are you from and what do you do when you’re not writing?

Christopher Carrolli
I’m from Greensburg, PA, and when I’m not writing, I’m either reading, working out, or taking care of the house.

How did you come up with the idea for this book/series?

Well, after my own experiences with the paranormal, I came up with the idea for my first book, “Pipeline.” After that, the story of my investigators seemed to be ongoing, where one storyline would lead to another.

Tell us about the writing process—what were your favorite and least favorite moments?

My writing process is the first draft first, then a second draft of rewriting, then a third, and ultimately, a fourth. My favorite moments are when some line or some event in the story just falls into place, completing a puzzle, and I can call one of those drafts complete. My least favorite moment is when I forget to write a crucial moment into a scene and have to go back write it in…

What’s your favorite cure for writer’s block?

For me, I’ve always found that the easiest, most logical way to handle it is to walk away from the computer; do something else. As soon as you become enrapt in something else, it hits you.

Can you please share an excerpt? 

 Sure, Mysti. This excerpt is from my latest book, “The Third Eye of Leah Leeds.” This is the scene where Susan Logan, the Psychiatrist, encounters Cedar Manor, the house that has plagued the memories of Leah Leeds.

Now, after the late breaking of a baby-blue dawn, Susan stood under the newly risen winter sun as it glowed above the highest heights of the great house, lighting and displaying the vintage house in all of its glory. Now, she saw it up close, not briefly against the eerie backdrop of a night sky, or quickly from the road in a hastened glimpse. She had permission to enter the site past the police tape that draped the front iron-gate. She walked down the limestone pathway and stood immersed in front of its eerie opulence even under the sun.

It stood grand, erect, silently beckoning yet masquerading as a voiceless fortress in the morning sun. She marveled at the sturdy structure bathed in its chocolate hue, the Colonial arches and gables, the short but reaching spire that pointed upward at the winter sky. Here is where the third eye of Leah Leeds had budded and sprouted wide like a wild dandelion, where a child became the prey of the many hidden evils that dwelt behind its walls. Here is where a young mother took her life under the spell of possession, and where a young husband and father lost his mind, leaving his daughter to fend off the visions and demons that now enveloped her adult life.

What’s your next/current writing project?

I have just finished Book 4 of the series, “The Skinwalker’s Tale,” which will be released by Melange this year. I will be announcing a release date soon. I’ve also begun work on Book 5 of the series. That book is as yet untitled…

Here’s a totally random question for you:

 I’m on a silly haiku kick, so come up with your own silly haiku, but you must include the word “potato”.

Ok, here goes, Mysti…

A baked potato
Tastes better baked in oven
Bake and taste the past.

Thanks so much for stopping by!


Thanks for having me, Mysti.

****
Christopher Carrolli is a 2006 graduate of University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and an English Writing major, and also the winner of the Ida B. Welles Prize in Journalism. The Third Eye of Leah Leeds is Christopher Carrolli’s third novel and third installment in The Paranormal Investigator series by Melange Books, following Pipeline and The Listener. His fourth book, The Skinwalker’s Tale, will be released in 2014.

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3 comments:

  1. Great interview Christopher. I dont know what I would do if I experienced a paranormal incident. It must have been scary for you. good luck with sales

    ReplyDelete
  2. keep those crazy haikus comin'!

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