Congrats to Lindsey Loucks on her newest release, What Gifts She Carried, (Grave Winer Book 2)! She was kind enough to share an excerpt and answer some interview questions, so read on to find out more about Lindsey and her book.
Blurb: Leigh Baxton just wants to pick up the pieces of her life—if you could call it that—but someone keeps resurrecting the dead. These new zombies have a knack for spilling Leigh’s precious blood, something she was warned about by a certain pair of undead sorceresses.
Desperate to find out why they’re here so Leigh can put the nightmares behind her, she must learn more about the gifts she carries. With Tram’s training sessions and clues from her mom’s past, Leigh begins to piece together what she’s capable of.
Too bad there isn’t a Cliff’s Notes version to saving the world.
The zombies have teamed up with followers of the darkest sorceress who ever lived, and they’ll play a wicked game until she’s freed from her prison inside the earth. When the battle to the death begins, Leigh must rely on friends, crushes, and even her enemies to win the war, but not the grave.
Excerpt:
Jo slammed the door behind me, which made me jump a little, then waved. They backed out and rode off, leaving me all alone. Well, almost all alone.
I watched them go for a second, but the shadow above lanced the top of my head like only an angry dad’s stare could.
The puddles in the cracked pavement rippled with the moon’s reflection, and I hopped over them on my way up the iron staircase. Time to face the music, or in this case really loud shouting. Every step upward vibrated doom, doom, doom. I gave it the middle finger for the friendly reminder and rounded the corner.
As soon as I reached the top step, the shadow unplugged the pen light from his mouth and shined it in my face. I turned my head away from the spots dotting my vision and took my final steps toward him. The green paint on the walls and doors had peeled and crumbled to the walkway like little piles of broken dragon scales. My boots crunched over them. Welcome to Krapper’s finest and friendliest Crumbly Motel.
“Why didn’t you call?” Dad asked in a low voice. He sounded as tired as I felt. And way pissed.
“I’m sorry.” I blocked the light with my hand and tried to look him in the face. “I lost track of time.”
“Were you really working on a school project?”
The truth was loony-bin crazy, and I’d already lied before. Might as well play it up. “Yes, I was. And we finished the pirate project. The pirates have sailed on to loot and pillage their hearts out. I’m really sorry I’m late, Dad.”
He stood, his book tucked under his elbow, the pen light still aimed at my eyes. “Do you have any idea—”
A loud thud came from inside the motel room. Both our heads whipped towards the door.
My heartbeat skipped. Too many bizarre things had happened. Too many weird sounds would haunt me forever, and this one didn’t feel right at all. I lunged for the doorknob, but it was locked.
“Darby?” I shouted and pounded on the door.
“Leigh, quiet down. I’ve got the key.” Dad pulled the card from his pocket and stuck it in the slot. When the light flashed green, I tore through the door. I had to wait for my eyes to adjust to the dim overhead light before I saw her. Directly across from us. Outside on the balcony. Leaning over the railing so far I could barely see her upper half.
Her purple mermaid nightgown fluttered around her legs. A sudden sharp breeze tossed the hair around her shoulders and unsteadied her grip on the rail for half a second. That half second shot me across the room.
Once I reached the balcony door, I grabbed her foot and pulled. “Darby, what are you—?” Something trickled from my nose. I brushed it away, and blood smeared my hand. A pinprick of dread punctured the small amount of hope I clung to. Hope that all the nightmares in my life could be done. That hope left me deflated when Darby turned around.
Blood seeped from her nose, too. Her hands were covered with it. Terror blazed bright behind her glasses. “You’re…you’re bleeding.”
“You are, too.” The hairs along my arms lifted. Both of us had nose bleeds and both of us were Trammeler sorceressi. One and Two had warned me not to waste my precious blood, but now it flowed down both our fronts for everyone to see. For what? I swallowed. So we could be hunted down? With the balcony and front doors still open, I felt very exposed. “What are you doing out here, Darby?”
Blood settled above the curve of her upper lip. “I—I thought I heard something.”
Dad, hovering in the doorway, raked his hands through his hair. “What on Earth is going on with you girls?” He took Darby by the shoulder and guided her to the bathroom. “Leigh, get the doors and then let’s get you both cleaned up.”
I reached for the handle while holding a sleeve up to my nose. As I slid the door closed, a small, bloody handprint smudged the streetlights behind it. Darby’s. She was bleeding more than me.
A slow but steady doom, doom, doom of footsteps echoed up the stairs outside the still open front door. Someone was coming. And with them came the stink of nasty meat floating in a sewer. Even with all the blood gushing a river out my nose, I could still smell it. Death. Coming closer.
What Gifts She Carried Links:
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The Grave Winner Links:
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Bio:
Lindsey R. Loucks works as a school librarian in rural Kansas. When she’s not discussing books with anyone who will listen, she’s dreaming up her own stories. Eventually her brain gives out, and she’ll play hide and seek with her cat, put herself in a chocolate induced coma, or watch scary movies alone in the dark to reenergize.
She’s been with her significant other for almost two decades.
Check out Lindsey’s website.
Follow Lindsey on Facebook.
Follow Lindsey on Twitter.
Interview with Lindsey:
Q: Where were you born? Are you the kind of person who likes to move around a lot, or do you prefer to live in one place?
A: I was born in Nebraska City, Nebraska. Since then, I’ve lived in Montana and Kansas, and I still live in Kansas, though not the same town I grew up in. I like to stay in one place because I hate moving, but I do plan on getting out of Kansas eventually!
Q: What sparked your interest in writing? How long have you been writing?
A: When I was about eight, my parents bought me my very own desk for a birthday present, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever! I imagined all the great stories that could be written at that desk, so I penned my first “masterpiece” about a little girl who was having a very bad day. I’ve been hooked on writing ever since.
Q: What provided the inspiration for your latest novel, What Gifts She Carried?
A: It wasn’t so much as inspiration as perspiration! But these two songs looped on repeat while I wrote and provided sufficient creepy background music: 1. “Oh Death” by Jen Titus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6crMKpLx7r8 and 2. “Come, Little Children” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfI7gSO-Fgc
Q: What Gifts She Carried is a sequel to The Grave Winner. How did you approach writing book 2 in the series?
A: I knew I had to move the story forward from The Grave Winner, and I knew I wanted it to be somewhat darker and scarier. So I just imagined all the terrible things that could happen and put some of those things in the story.
Q: How would you describe your path toward publication?
A: I queried agents and small publishers and had a few bites at first, then just days apart, I suddenly had three offers from small publishers. I chose Crescent Moon Press based on the quality of their covers, their books, and author feedback.
Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
A: Have you heard the old saying, “Write what you know?” My advice is to ignore that. Don’t limit your imagination to your own experiences.
Q: Name a few authors who have inspired you and describe why.
A: Stephen King has inspired me because of his quirky mix of humor and horror,
Carrie Ryan for writing horror so lyrically, and Suzanne Collins for creating something so addicting and unputdownable as The Hunger Games.
Q: What are you currently writing?
A: Right now, I’m writing something I’ve never done before, which is a straight up contemporary story with zero zombies or ghosts. But there is bacon! It’s turning out to be an incredibly sexy novel, so I’ll probably publish it with a pen name!
Q: Coffee, tea, or hard liquor? (or all three?)
A: Coffee!
Q: What books are you currently reading or on your to-be-read list?
A: I’m reading an ARC of Come, the Dark by Rebecca Hamilton, and I’ll soon be reading Hell Hole by Hunter Shea.
Q: And now for the bonus fluff question: If you could be a character in your one of your favorite novels, which character would you be and why?
A: That’s the hardest question in the world! But if I had to pick just one, I’d choose Hermione Granger because she’s a badass who hangs out in the library for fun.
Cindy Young-Turner 