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Enthusiasm To Imagine Stories
The Red Eyes & The Curse is a fascinating collection of supernatural stories for middle-grade readers. What was the inspiration for the setup of your stories?
I got the inspiration from having the enthusiasm to imagine stories which belong to the supernatural genre. I have always wanted to write stories which can intrigue middle-grade readers by letting them feel immersed in the fiction of supernatural world where things are mystical. I like to keep young readers continuously enthralled by the things that cannot be explained by natural causes or the sciences, and also by the suspense at the very end of each chapters that hook them to go on to the next chapter.
The characters in both stories were interesting. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
The characters in the stories are both very young, and yet, they possess the boldness of soaring eagles and the determination of charging bulls. In these stories, the characters start off by being pure and innocent, and it is not until the strange things have happened as the stories flow that the characters begin to challenge their limits. I intend to let the readers savour the radical transition of the development of such characters as the stories unfold, and to let middle-grade readers feel inspired by the courage of such characters.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in these stories?
The plot twists and the captivating ending of every chapters in the stories are the uniqueness of the book. The stories are laid upon the foundation that there are myriads of suspense and mysteries that make the readers want to explore more as the stories unfold. The themes of the story revolve around the supernatural happenings that transpire in every chapter, and they let the readers continuously wonder what is going to happen next. Other things that revolve around the themes are freshness, creativity, and dynamism.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Currently, I am not yet working on the next book, but I have already published 7 books. All these books can be found in my social media such as Facebook, Website, Instagram, and Amazon Author Central Page.
Author Links: Facebook | Website | Instagram | Amazon
The Red Eyes & The Curse
The Red Eyes by Lee Ching Kai follows Will and his siblings as they encounter paranormal experiences that begin to threaten the lives of their family. Will receives a new dog named Chester and he starts to notice odd occurrences around his home that lead him to explore an abandoned house he believes to be the cause of the paranormal activity. After meeting the ghost of a woman in the haunted house, Will and his sibling’s lives are forever changed, not by the hauntings, but by the secrets that are revealed. Will must find a way to save his family before the consequences of those secrets cost them all their lives.
At the very core of this paranormal mystery is an enjoyable horror story. The story is straightforward, so it will be easy to follow. Readers looking for a clear-cut supernatural story will enjoy the clear narration. The characters were all likable. Will was a character that felt very realistic in both his actions and his thoughts. This is a short but entertaining read that will leave you with some questions in the end that readers will surely be thinking about for a while.
In The Curse, Amelia and her family move to a new home in hopes of finding a better environment for her, but Amelia and her brothers notice that something is off about some of the townspeople. While exploring what she believes to be a haunted house, Amelia meets a group of individuals who are not as they seem and is forever changed as she becomes involved in their story. Amelia must decide whom to trust as the fate of her family and the world depends on her decision.
This is an intriguing story that follows a teenager, Amelia, and her family as they relocate to a new home. This was meant to be a positive change, but Amelia finds violence and death. After becoming involved with a group of individuals she meets at a haunted house, Amelia must make impossible decisions to keep her family and the world safe.
The Curse is an easy and quick read. There are some similarities between this story and The Red Eyes, but there is an element to this story that is creative and unique, and some of the plot points are pretty wild. The author does a great job creating decent characters as Amelia the protagonist is likable. The author breaks the fourth wall several times, which readers may find interesting.
This is a fascinating collection of short stories that middle-grade readers looking for intriguing supernatural mysteries will surely enjoy.
Pages: 236 | ISBN: 9670730511
All The Demons Of The Past
The Curse tells the story of a boy who is invaded by a mysterious demonic spirit that manipulates his mind and lures him toward something dark and sinister. How did you come up with the idea for the setup to this novel?
Honestly, Joseph’s backstory comes from my own, minus the evil entity possession. Witnessing his mother’s years of abuse at the hands of his own father is similar to my own childhood. Writing his story in a way was like my own private therapy, releasing all the demons of the past. As I brought the Shadow, a.k.a demonic spirit, into the story, his character represents all the trauma I carried throughout my life. So, my fictional characters, Joseph and the Shadow, represents the battle between good vs evil. Adding my Breedline characters to the story just gave me a channel to express my imagination and love for the supernatural world.
What were some ideas you wanted to explore with the relationship between Joseph and Carrie?
I’m a sucker for a fairytale love story, so I wanted to create two characters who were somehow brought together by fate. And no matter what crosses their paths, nothing will break the chains that binds their love.
How do you balance story telling for long time fans with making your book accessible to new readers?
This is a tough strategy, especially for an indie author. For me, although I’m excited to introduce a new book to my series, it’s important to showcase each one. Advertisement and continuous promotion are key components.
What excited you about writing this book?
Although the story is based on Joseph and Carrie, I was excited to reintroduce a character from my fifth book, The Immortal. Without mentioning the character’s name, I believe bringing “him” back into story at the end will give the readers closure to “his” character.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Twenty-one years later, this mysterious demonic spirit continues to inhabit Joseph’s body and manipulates his mind, luring him toward something dark and sinister, something that is beyond his control.
Carrie Randall, a substance abuse counselor who is unsuccessful at dating, comes face-to-face with death when two men approach her in a dark alley. Amid her assault, something resembling a werewolf, comes to her rescue in the nick of time. As she tries to process everything, unsure if what she witnessed was real or fantasy, her world suddenly collides with a handsome stranger as though they were somehow brought together by fate.
Despite her past relationships, Carrie finds herself spellbound, falling for Joseph Parker, a handsome, yet mysterious, journalist who works for an esteemed newspaper in Berkeley, California. But when Carrie discovers his terrifying secrets, she begins to fear for her life.
Now, Carrie is forced to make the hardest decision of her life. She can turn her back on Joseph, or stay and help him fight the demon who desires her soul.
The Curse
The Curse is another outstanding novel in Shana Congrove’s Breedline Series. This rousing dark fantasy novel follows the Breedline Covenant as well as Joseph Parker, who is possessed by a demonic spirit called the Shadow. We also follow Carrie Randall, an unlucky-in-love counselor who’s world collides with Joseph’s. While trying to track down Joseph, the Breedline Covenant finds out about illegal experiments being done on humans and about vampires.
The world in the Breedline series is well established at this point but if you haven’t read the other books in the series then the author provides plenty of backstory at the beginning of this book to bring you up to speed. The book focuses on setting up the world and the characters first before launching into the heart of the story, and the action.
The story also takes time to describe what the character looks like, so they are clear in the mind of readers before the story moves on. Readers are also reintroduced to Breedline characters as well. Each character is described so that we understand who they are, what they do, and what their power/ability is. This provides a lot of information that new readers will find helpful in understanding the world that has been built in the Breedline series, but longtime fans of the series will find information they’ve picked up in previous books.
I enjoyed getting into Jena’s head. I was pulled into the story during this section, which made it extremely enjoyable to read. I also found the vampires interesting, although I would have liked more information about them so that I could understand them better. The ‘biters’ are the evil ones, and we also have the good ones that are ‘Daywalkers’ or hybrids. I found this division interesting, but I would have liked to have seen their roles more clearly defined in the story.
I enjoyed the premise of this paranormal romance novel. I loved the werewolves, vampires, battle angels, shapeshifting, and the fight against evil. I enjoyed that this is set in the modern world as well. The Curse takes a slow-burn approach to story telling that utilizes most of the pages to build character and the world before jumping into the action.
Pages: 447 | ASIN: B0B5B6DGQK
LITERARY TITAN 