Today, I am hosting a fantastic newly published author, Melora Johnson! Her first novel is being published on January 15th, 2020 by Tirgearr Publishing.
Thank You
I’d like to start by thanking Christy for hosting me on her blog and in her newsletter so I can reach out to all you lovely people who enjoy reading fantasy! And thank YOU for taking the time to read.
About Melora
My name is Melora Johnson and I live high on a hilltop in the countryside of Upstate New York. I’m a mom to one funny and sweet pre-teen girl and I’ve been married for almost ten years to my wonderfully supportive husband. I’m also a librarian in a small city.
I got a lot out of reading growing up – escapism, comfort, and learning. In college I learned that there was a term for it, “bibliotherapy.” I wanted to give that back to other people. I also loved making up stories and I’ve always been most comfortable communicating in writing.
About Earthbound
My first paranormal romance, Earthbound, is coming out from Tirgearr Publishing on January 15th.
Ally Reynolds is a veterinarian specializing in raptor rehabilitation in New Hampshire. Other than one horrific incident in her childhood and a little extra “spark” for healing in her hands, both of which she has kept secret from even her best friend, her life has been singularly boring. It has been extremely lonely as well. Ally longs for someone to share her life with, but how can she trust someone with her secret?
Matthew Blake, an ornithologist at Cornell University, calls to ask for her help with a hurt raptor. Matthew grew up in New Zealand and has lived around the world. He read about Ally’s success rates in raptor rehabilitation and suspects there is more to it than is generally known.
Matthew has some secrets of his own. He’s a demon hunter and suspects Ally’s healing powers could be of use in demon hunting. He wants her to join him and thinks they’d make a great team. Can Ally trust him or is he just using her? Matthew definitely has more secrets, and some of them are about Ally.
Writing Earthbound
It helps me to visualize my characters if I pick someone to play them in my mind. For Earthbound, I was picturing Jan Smithers from the old television show WKRP in Cincinnati. The male character was a little more . . . fluid.
I started Earthbound based on a single image of a blond man in khaki shorts jumping from one boulder to another then dropping down in front of the heroine. (To be honest, I think it was at least partially inspired by Australian zookeeper Steve Irwin.) That image didn’t even end up staying in the book. Later on, I know I was picturing Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton (Hawkeye.)
Earthbound began during a NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month as “Something About Demons.” I only made it 30 words in, but by the time I came back to it in November, it was called, “Among the Angels.” I’ll be sharing some of the inspirations behind the book in the coming weeks on my Facebook page and blog.
All writing flows from experiences we have in life but with the paranormal genre a lot of it has to come from the imagination. I love coffee, so my main character gets up and starts making her beloved coffee then, bam, demon attack! I can’t say that ever happened to me.
For this book, I wrote most everything from my imagination but I also did research and added in facts about the wonderful work they do at the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Mostly I want people to have fun reading Earthbound. I’ve put in a few things that I ponder over so maybe you’ll find some food for thought as well.
Praise for Earthbound
“Melora Johnson’s writing is thoroughly engrossing. This is a romance, and a thriller, and a fantasy. My only complaint is that the epilogue came too quickly. More! More!”
How to Buy
Earthbound is on pre-order for 99 cents on all ebook platforms until it is released mid-January.
Please give Earthbound a try if you like paranormal romance or urban fantasy and, if you do, PLEASE leave a review. J
My web site is www.melorajohnson.com which also links to my blog, melorajohnson.wordpress.com, but I’m most active on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/MeloraJohnson.Writer/.
Reblogged this on Melora Johnson's Muse and commented:
Thank you to Christy Jackson Nicholas for hosting me on her blog today!
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