Thursday, October 15, 2009

Waking Evil is Released

I know some of you might have seen this post already. I don't know what the mix up was. I had it ready to post Oct. 6 but we had a scheduling snafu and it disappeared from the blog. Now I see that it posted Oct. 4. This is Halloween spooky because I didn't post it then!

So here it is again, and when I pick the winner I will combine today's commenters and the ones from the 4th...when I really didn't even post it. (cue Twilight Zone music)


Book 2 of The Mindhunters hit the shelf last week. WAKING EVIL features a no-nonsense forensic investigator with a southern charmer of a hero. With a sleepy rural town, an ancient legend, murder and a pinch of the supernatural, I have to admit that this book is my favorite of the three. Maybe that's because it was the easiest to write. It was one of those stories that behaved itself, was full of surprises and characters that intrigued me. There's not much more that an author can ask for!

Here's the back cover blurb:

Buffalo Springs Tennessee is a neighborly kind of place where folks leave their doors unlocked and crime is unheard of. But once every generation, a strange red mist settles over the town, and with it comes omens of death.

When the body of a young woman is found, forensic investigator Ramsey Clark is called in. She knows about the legend of the mist and about the curse that has the entire town afraid of the dark. But Ramsey believes in evidence, not superstition, despite what she's told by by the parapsychologist who's been dogging her every step. Then another murder rocks Buffalo Springs, and Ramsey begins to wonder if a killer is playing on everyone's fears or if a prophecy is indeed being fulfilled--one victim at a time.

In the book, the hero, Devlin Stryker, is a renowned parapsychologist and author, who checks out supposed supernatural events and exposes the hoaxes or writes books on the ones that he can find no natural explanation for. I had a blast researching his background, and learning about the tools of the trade for a 'ghost hunter', as Ramsey so derisively refers to him at their first meeting. Because I happen to believe there are a whole lot of charlatans out there, but there are also things that seem inexplicable.

How about you? Do you believe in legends and superstitions? Ever seen a ghost or visited someplace reputed to be haunted? I'm giving away a signed copy of Waking Evil to one lucky commenter today!

26 comments:

Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews said...

I believe in legends and some superstitions!

No I haven't seen a ghost but I believed I have dreamt of them though.

My dad told me when he was a kid a house he lived in was haunted after they moved out. The kid who lived in it next died after playing with an Ouji Board.

Pamela Keener said...

Hi Kylie,
I just started reading Waking Nightmare & Waking Evil's premise sounds just as good. How appropo that it is debuting in October.
I have never seen a ghost or visited someplace that is reputed to be haunted but I always wanted to go on one of those tours that tkes you to these places. I think I am superstitious to a point. I don't ever want to walk underneath a ladder but that could have to do with safety reasons too LOL.
Love & Hugs,
Pam Keener in PA

Unknown said...

Hi Kylie :)
Thank you for the great post!
Congratulations on WAKING EVIL out today!
I think legends & superstitions have some basis in long-ago fact.
I haven't seen a ghost, but I've felt that goosebumping feeling for no reason in a graveyard once.
:)
All the best,
RKCharron
xoxo

mariska said...

Hope i'm not too late to enter in your drawing giveaway Kylie.
I enjoyed the Waking Nightmare, and hoping i can continue my readin of your midhunters series.
I had seen several times a figure, a very tall black figure at a old house (it's more than 100 years old house) in our village when i was about 10yos. And i'd seen a black figure too in the middle of the night at my granny's house.
I'm kindda believer, that supernatural things do exist :)
mariska
uniquas at ymail dot com

mariska said...

Did i say Midhunters? Where's the 'n' gone? :)
Sorry Kylie, typing comment from my mobile sometimes makes me do some errors.
Your Mindhunters series, that's what i meant.
Congrats for the release!

GunDiva said...

Can't wait to start reading your series. It's on my TBR pile. We grew up with "Grandma's little ghost" - it was a common thing to see him lurking around the front porch each spring and fall. Scared the bejeezus out of us kids the first time we saw him, then he kind of just was there, no more drama.

Pamk said...

sounds like a great series and nope I've seen a ghost. Would like to but haven't yet.

Asylumgirl said...

My husband's old family home is haunted. I've been there myself and heard footsteps on the stairs when no one was up there. They've told tales of his great-grandmother feeling her cover being tugged. She pulled it back up twice before she opened her eyes to see a ghost at the end of the bed who then disappeared through the window. What would you do if that happened? I'd probably have trouble sleeping in the house after that.

Deidre

Stacy~ said...

I'm definitely open to the idea of them. I love the idea of ghosts and things like that, though I've never experienced anything like a haunting. I did go on the Richard T. Crowe Chicago ghost tour a few years back. Most fun, but no ghosts. Would love to go again.

Kyle, I'm almost done with book #1 and already have #2 all lined up. I'm loving them!

Helen Brenna said...

Kylie, what a great story idea! Congrats on the new release. I'm looking forward to reading this series.

I do believe in spirits and hauntings. I think legends become legends because there's some basis in fact. I can get lost for days in this kind of research!

Debra Dixon said...

Kylie-- I'm with you. There is way too much that is unexplainable. Which makes it fascinating of course.

I try not to be logical, but I will admit to the odd superstition or two.

Congrats on the book launch. Sounds great. But my blog mates are killing me this year and single-handedly toppling over my pile of TBR. (Okay, it doesn't topple because it's Kindle and the only thing that saves me is that not every book is out in Kindle at launch so I can get by with "saving" the books on Amazon but it makes my Amazon pile high!)

Michele Hauf said...

Congrats, Kylie! This one looks awesome.

I have never seen proof that various legends and superstitions DO exist, but until I am given proof they do NOT exist, then my mind is wide open to the possibilities.

KylieBrant said...

Thanks, Stacy. Glad you're enjoying the books! I'm with you, the haunted tour I went on was more fun than spooky. But I'd do another!

Helen, I had fun coming up with the legend in this story, and bringing the characters around to discovering its source.

Debra, TBR piles stress me out. I never had one until I started writing. Now when I look at mine it makes me feel so guilty!

Michele, I'd love to go to those haunted Scottish moors some time. Maybe we could convince Lois to take us and call it research for one of her books???

Jane said...

Hi Kylie,
Congrats on the new release. I do believe in legends and superstitions, but I don't always pay attention to them. I have never visited a haunted house. I don't think I would be able to handle it if I do meet a spirit or ghost.

LSUReader said...

I've visited several places in the South--especially Louisiana--that are supposed to be haunted, including St. Louis Cemetary No.1, the New Orleans burial place of voodoo queen Marie Laveau. I've never met a ghost, but I figure there's still time! Good luck with your new book; it sounds great.

KylieBrant said...

Jane, one thing for sure, I wouldn't want to be alone when I met one!

LSUReader--I was in that cemetery too--took a ghost tour there. It was very interesting but the scariest thing was all the warnings about the gangs that hung out there to mug tourists. Yikes!

Unknown said...

This looks soooooooooo great, Kylie. Super congrats.

Linda Henderson said...

I've never seen a ghost but my daughter got married in a hotel in Arkansas that is supposedly haunted. I do believe in legends and some superstitions.

chey said...

Hi Kylie,
I think some legends & superstitions have some basis in past fact or perceived fact.
I've never seen a ghost.

Kara C said...

I love this series! Just finished the newest one, and it is sooo good.
I don't know if there is any truth to legends and superstitions, but they sure are fun! Certainly convinced there's more to this world than what we can see!

Cindy Gerard said...

Congrats, Kylie!!
Bought the book today while I was out. Can't wait to start it!!

And yes, absolutely. I believe in Woo Woo. As someone said, too much that can't be explained.

mslizalou said...

Congrats on the release Kylie!

I live in Nashville and the Bell Witch was in Adams, TN. John Bell's death is the only one on record to be tied to a ghost. A play is performed on the Bell property every October and I've seen it several times. The first time we went, it rained like crazy during the play. However, when the play was over, the ground was completely dry.

KylieBrant said...

Thanks, Lois!

Linda, that could have made for an interesting wedding if the ghost had decided to act up!

Chey, I sure had a good time coming up with the legend in this book!

Thanks, Kara! Glad you're enjoying the series. Like you, I think there is much we don't understand out there.

Thanks, Cindy, especially for making sure the books are out on the shelves, lol!

Liza, I'm intrigued! Maybe we should check that out when we're in Nashville this summer!

Unknown said...

I can't say that I am any superstitions. I have heard a lot of legends that I didn't no weather to believe or not. I have never seen a ghost and am not sure I want to.

Unknown said...

Growing up, I heard plenty of "tales" about things that happened in the Appalachain hills--which seemed to always be haunted. Everything from big mountain cats (cougars?) who punish evil-doers to strange old men who snatch bad children to ghosts who pull on covers. My dad used to laugh at that last one-- saying that if grandma felt something move in bed, it was probably grandpa! lol.

Never seen a ghost or spectre myself. Not certain I'd want to-- and is that the reason I haven't?

Still I'm open to lots of possibilities. I've experienced too much in life that was odd to believe that we can judge reality by what we can perceive with our five senses.

Good luck with Waking Evil, Kylie. Sounds GREAT!

Minna said...

I have never seen a ghost, but it seems that my cousin did see one. My grandmother's brother used to live nearby, he visited us at least twice a day with his cat -who followed him everywhere- and in order to come here he had to walk past our cousins' summer cottage. He also hated dogs, for some reason. Eventually he died and his cat had to be put down. Now, some years later my cousins who own the cottage told that their son had this imaginary friend, an old man who hates dogs, who has a cat and who passes the cottage with his cat couple of times a day in order to visit my home. They claimed, they hadn't told anything to their son about the old man who used to live near by.