Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/Xx830AT-g2s
I stroke one cheek and then the other with blush and remember standing with Drew at the bonfire. The last night we went out as boyfriend and girlfriend. The last night he was human.
On your 13th birthday, you get the call. By your 14th birthday you find out what the call is.
Everyone I know is in the audience tonight––Ally, Mom, Dad, Brian, even my brother, Mitch, because he came home for my birthday. We’re having our family dinner tomorrow night since tonight the cast party’s at Drew's house, unless I decapitate him first.
“Roxie five minutes,” Hayden yells into the girl’s locker room. As usual I’m the last one out. I sweep my hair up to the side and try to remember my first line. For some reason it’s the one I always forget.
I open locker 316, grab my sword and just as I step outside of the locker room, Wanda runs up to me and starts talking non-stop about her nerves and how they’re getting worse and worse.
“What’s that?” she asks. I stop cold in my tracks at the backstage door.
“There are lots of words for things that don’t exist––the unseen. Like monsters and aliens and dragons and vampires and ghosts,” I say sort of in a trance.
“Yeah, so?” Wanda says, wringing her hands.
“If they don’t exist, why are there words for them? All the stuff I thought was crazy really isn’t crazy at all,” I say, finally getting what Drew was trying to tell me at the bonfire at the estate at homecoming. What the human Drew said before I danced with his shadow. My role in the unseen, the shadow world. Still, I don’t know so many things. Like, what happens to a shadow once I slay it? And where do humans go when their shadows invade? How can I save my human friends?
“Roxie, I caught you! I was so late because Brian’s car got a flat. He fixed it so great, I couldn’t believe it. It’s like he went to badass school or something,” Ally says, laughing.
“Ally. Finally!” We hug. I swallow hard. Brian. Fixed. A. Flat. I mean it’s not brain surgery. But believe me, if it doesn’t have an LCD screen, my brother Brian doesn't think it exists. He doesn’t know how to fix a flat. O.M.G. Brian is probably a shadow too.
As a teenager, Laura’s love for story began in the Amazon where she waterskied with piranha while learning of head hunters and curses. In addition to being a ghost, she’s the author of five books and is a contributor to lifestyle and travel magazines. She has a passion for travel, particularly life at sea, and makes her home in Santa Cruz, CA with her husband, daughters, and their families. No matter the language barrier, perceived danger, altitude, squalls, fashion faux pas, or ingested gluten, she writes to inspire with a focus on journeys of the heart—always on the lookout for great champagne and a pair of red shoes.
You can find her at Laurasmagicday.com,
@Laurawriting on Twitter, @book_laurasmagicday on TikTok, and on Goodreads too.
The Book Junkie Reads . . .Reckless Dreams Interview with . . . Laura Elliott . . .
How would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your work?
Cinematic
Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?
I believe that writers write and they can’t not write. (Until something happens––more on that later.) In general, my process of creation has changed over the years. I used to write long into the night and now am more of a writer at dawn. There is so much business to writing that the hours during the day can get filled up with meetings, etc. I try to keep my mornings just about writing and journaling. I think journaling has been very important to my work. As a travel writer, journaling is everything. When I return home, I can forget the smells, tastes, sounds and details of the journey that matter to readers. The kinds of things that make a narrative really come alive. And yet, when I’m on the road and participating in so many activities (the ones I’m writing about) I can get so exhausted that I forget to write. But even if it’s just a few lines, it’s so important to write them down while living the experience. Our observations of the world, our POV, is the gold that makes our writing different and resonates with readers.
What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in general whether you are working on a project or just free writing)?
I don’t really need any routine. I’ve learned to write wherever I am and under all kinds of conditions. I need a notebook that can fit in a small bag so it’s accessible and ready so I can write my thoughts down quickly.
Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page? Do you people watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during story creation?
Ha! A little too much. After writing this book about a decade ago, the shadows actually came for me. Shadows in the series are a metaphor for the dark side of people. People who are otherwise good, but have problems that have made them cruel or just plain nasty. Basically what happened to Roxie in Shadow Slayer happened to me. She and I were both betrayed by someone very close to us. Writing a story that actually came true for me felt so spooky that I couldn’t write fiction, particularly ya fiction. I actually think I needed this time to develop the story and take it where it needs to go. I am rededicated to finishing this series now. Book 3 and 4 will be released over the next few Halloweens.
On my journey I found out exactly what Roxie finds out in this series––our worst experiences don’t have to define us. And when we are in the midst of a huge challenge and need to overcome it, not all our thoughts are helpful. We need to pay attention to the ones that are. We need to be courageous when we are scared and strong when we are weak.
What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
My goal is to write book 3 and publish it by next Halloween. I’m making more time for my own projects this year and that’s very exciting. I am a ghostwriter and usually write for other people so they can get their stories into the world. It’s a job I love.
Where would you spend one full year, if you could go ANYWhere, money is not a concern? What would you do with this time?
That’s an easy one. I’d be on my boat Blue Moon. I am usually on the boat for two or three month of the year. My husband and I call it Summer Camp. It’s a wonderful way to live in nature, hike and bike and catch crab, clams and oysters and cook for each other. So we’d sail the Salish Sea in the Summer and Caribbean in the winter. I love life at sea and so does my muse, my dog Lucy:)
https://twitter.com/Laurawriting
https://www.instagram.com/laurasmagicday/
https://www.tiktok.com/@book_laurasmagicday
https://www.laurasmagicday.com/shadow-series/reader-bonuses/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5043385.Laura_A_H_Elliott
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