Wednesday, July 17, 2013


Good morning my romantic paranormal booklovers!
Your distraction today includes paranormal dancing lessons!
You are going to dance with Deception first, then with Death.
Andrea Heltsley will show you how.
Lets's start:
Title:  Dancing with Deception
Author:  Andrea Heltsley
Published:  April 2013
Word Count:  20,000
Genre:  Paranormal Romance
Content Warning: None
Recommended Age:  Young Adult/Teens

Synopsis:
How far would you go to keep your nightmares a secret?

Wendy has been struggling with vivid, chilling nightmares that leave her exhausted and horrified. What will Wendy do to protect her secret when she discovers her nightmares are real? Death is coming and he’s coming for her.

Read the chilling prequel novella to the paranormal romance, Dancing with Death.
·         Download your copy of Dancing with Deception on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords for FREE!


Title:  Dancing with Death
Author:  Andrea Heltsley
Published:  May 2013
Word Count:  84,000
Genre:  Paranormal Romance
Content Warning: None
Recommended Age:  Young Adult/Teens
Synopsis: Murders have plagued the woods in the past, making them a place of fear. Eighteen year old Wendy and her friends become worried when a new string of murders come to their high school.

After a horrible car accident, Wendy returns to school, going from wallflower to popular overnight. Suddenly she is the center of attention, paying more attention to guys and clothes. Things are heating up for Wendy with more than one guy vying for her affections.

As the murderer edges closer to Wendy she realizes things are changing. She is afflicted with nightmares that are all too real and she herself is undergoing unnatural changes. Learning the truth about her past, could be the key to saving her future.

Feel intrigued? Feel like learning more about the author? Here you go!


Andrea Heltsley is a biology nerd who decided it was more
fun writing than dissecting. She has written four novels and three more will be out in fall/winter 2013. She lives on coffee and reads like a robot. Her husband and two Italian greyhounds usually have to tear her away from the computer...imagine that. :)


A special treat today! Andrea is distracted with us. Read her Interview here:

Welcome to "Urania's distractions" Andrea. I think your readers already know a lot about you, but please share a short bio with us.

When did you discover your gift for writing?
I won a contest in grade school for a short story I wrote.  Then I won a contest in high school for a poem I wrote.  I was in Journalism class as well.

What kind of sacrifices have you made along the way?

Money.  I left a very successful job as a scientist to follow my dreams.

What genre do you write?

New Adult/Young Adult paranormal romance mostly.

Any genre you have excluded from your writing?

Science fiction.  I’m not a big outer space or alien fan.

Do you have a special genre preference as a reader?

Absolutely.  I love romance and paranormal romance.  Sometimes I enjoy Urban Fantasy.

How do you approach your writing?  Do you plot or go with the flow?

I go with the flow.  My characters develop themselves.  That’s the only way for me.  Plots written in detail give me writer’s block.

Who is your favorite author and why?

Lewis Carroll.  Alice in Wonderland is an epic book.  It’s so full of imagination and the characters are richly created.

What inspired you to write Dancing with Deception?

I felt like I needed backstory to Dancing with Death.  I wanted both stories to blend seamlessly.  It just wouldn’t have worked as a single book.  I love a good spooky story now and again, so I created Wendy’s world of a paranormal murder mystery.

What's the significance of the book's title?

Dancing with Deception is based on the lies Wendy creates trying to protect her secrets.
Dancing with Death is based on the multiple attempts on Wendy’s life throughout the story.

Is there a main message that you'd like readers to take away from the book?

Dancing with Death- There is always a choice even when it seems like there isn’t one.  You have the power to create your own destiny.

How do you pick the character’s names?

They just kind of popped into my head, so I went with them.  Like I said, my books are controlled by my characters.

Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with our readers?

I can’t write without music, candle burning and sitting cross-legged at my desk.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?

I learned that I had a lot to say about Wendy and her story.  Just when I think a book will be the last one, I come up with an idea for the next in the series.  I have a total of one novella and four novels planned.

Did you have to do any research for your story/ies?

I always do some research.  Google is one of my best friends.  It answers all my questions without a hassle J

What’s the most challenging aspect of writing?  Easiest?

The most challenging is keeping the characters consistent and getting into the mind of the story.  The easiest thing about writing is the beginning when the story comes to life.

What’s the most rewarding aspect?

Having the freedom to follow my dreams and do something I love.

What’s the most interesting comment you have received about your books?

They said one of my books were too Disney.  Who doesn’t like happy endings?  Is that really a bad thing?  I felt it was actually a great complement because Disney is epic at fairytale endings.

What is your experience as an indie author and what obstacles did you have to overcome so as to become a successful writer?

The first year I wrote, I had no guidance and it was disastrous.  I learned that by joining in with writing groups there was so much more to the process.  They have been instrumental in my journey.

What advice can you offer to those who are struggling to make their book known to the public?

Make sure you have had it edited first off, then, blog.  Network with other authors and writers.  Do giveaways, join blog hops.  Book tours can be helpful too.

What are we to expect of Andrea Heltsley in the future?

Expect a lot of books.  I planned for 7 this year and 5 for next year.  Now that I’ve started, I can’t stop creating these awesome plots.

Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?

What makes a book great to you?

Thanks again, Andrea Heltsley, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavours!

Now let's have a taste of how it feels to Dance with Deception:

Excerpt from Dancing with Deception by Andrea Heltsley:

I squinted until my eyes adjusted to the surrounding cover of night. Once they had adapted to the darkness, my eyes widened. I was standing next to a tall cluster of trees in the forest not far from my house.
Confusion settled over me as I peered around for any sign as to why I was out there. It was chilly and the wind was slicing right through me. I wished I had a coat on. 
Breaking through the haze of confusion, I suddenly shivered but not because of the cold. The hairs on my arms and neck stood on end and my heart was pounding. Thump, thump, thump, thump. 
The only sound was the rapid beating of my heart. I didn’t know why, but I felt nervous and uneasy. Something bad was coming and I was blind to whatever it was. 
Panic firmly took hold in my stomach and the butterflies caged inside me were let loose to flutter, fighting for freedom. My breathing had become harsh and labored. 
All kinds of wild thoughts were racing through my mind. The waiting was excruciating and my unease increased with each passing second. That’s when I heard it.
The crunch of branches and dead leaves in the distance filtered through the silence. I tried to discern where it was coming from, but had no luck. 
I strained to hear, but was too late. The sounds were coming in my direction. I spun frantically for a place to hide. The trees were thick, but not thick enough to cover me. I could only hide behind one and still myself. 
My hand flew to my mouth to cover the gasp of surprise I was about to unleash. The situation was bad, so much worse than I could have imagined.
There, in the inky darkness of the woods, I focused on two figures ahead of me. It was a chase. The first figure ran with little care of their surroundings. Twigs were snapping and branches were whipping. Leaves crunched loudly below their feet.
The second figure was faster though. It caught up and yanked the first figure to the ground with a loud ‘thud.’ A panicked scream pierced the air and I realized it was a woman that was being chased.

Now it's time to claim your Giveaway Prize!
Giveaway Details:
There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:
·         $10 Electronic Amazon Gift Card
Giveaway is International

Good luck and...
as always, keep being distracted by reading.
Urania

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1 comment:

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