oI hope the weather is changing more favourable in your area now that we are into April. We get showers year round here, so the old adage doesn't really work. No matter, we have author J.R. White here today to cheer us up. Welcome!
SC: Tell me a little bit about your main character of this book.
JRW: The main characters in Reckless Dreams were really fun to work with. They’re both outside of my normal and I loved that challenge. DjinnShay Court (Court) is a reluctant knight figure who takes his role as a Watcher very seriously. He is native to the Dream Realm, but has been trained to travel to the Waking Realm to fight nightmares. This helps maintain the balance that holds the three realms together. Of course having to leave his task behind and take on the role of Guardian for Karlee is a temporary blow for him.
Karlee Bolt starts out almost like a damsel in distress, but quickly gets her feet under her and grows into a fighter in her own right. She knew nothing about the Dream Realm and really did wonder if she was going crazy when she was first attacked and then saved by Court. Karlee comes to the conclusion that trusting in Court and following along might be better than going to a mental institution. And that’s how her adventure begins.
SC: We love adventures here at Supernatural Central. Do you believe in the paranormal and if so, do you have an experience you can share?
JRW: I’m a strong believer in the paranormal. When I was growing up we lived in a house that several generations of my family had also grown up in and that several had passed on in. Most notably, we had Aunt Margret, who would randomly open doors. She was a child when she passed 80 odd years ago and while I never saw her in the house we all felt she was the one running in and out. I did see her in the woods once. She was this tiny girl and incredibly pale with a white dress. She walked from behind a tree and then disappeared behind another several yards away.
My family now is pagan and we also believe in the Wee Folk. Spirits of many sorts are always around and my garden never looked better than when I left a small bowl of oatmeal out for the gnomes.
SC: I should try that. My garden can use a little work. What titles are you working on now that you can tell us about?
JRW: Reckless Dreams is the first book in the Stories from the Dream Realm series. I have two other books planned for releases later this year, Shadows Fall and Noble Intent. Each book follows a different couple and they play their own part in saving the three realms.
There is a sister series, Stories from the Realm Beyond, that I’m starting to work on. These three books focus on the struggles going on in the third realm. The Realm Beyond is a type of nightmare realm that is considered taboo in the Dream Realm. So much isn’t known about it yet.
SC: We'd better let you get back to it. Thanks for dropping in.
Excerpt:
Before Karlee could get the next book on the shelf, a loud thunk made her jump. Spinning around to face the disturbance, she took a slow step forward. “Hello?” At first only silence answered her and then a distant click followed by another and then the sound echoed through the disorganized mess. She took another step, but it wasn’t until the lights illuminated the hallway clicked off that she realized what the sound was.
Backing away from the approaching darkness, Karlee turned to run. The clicking of the lights going out behind her grew louder. On the other side of the basement was the door that led outside and onto the street. She ran faster as her heart started to race. As the clicking grew louder and closer, she heard heavy feet hurrying along with it.
The lights directly above Karlee started to shatter. Sparks cascaded down on her and bounced across the floor. Making a quick turn, she could see the door just a few yards away, but just as she was closing the distance, she felt something tug at her hair. Letting out a shriek, she dashed towards the steps that led away from her tormentor. As one foot touched down on the stair, the other was yanked out from under her. She crashed into the wooden steps and felt a cold solid mass wrap itself around her ankle. It began to slither up her leg and she kicked out, desperately trying to clamber away.
There was nothing but darkness behind Karlee. Even the thing that held onto her and was scratching at her skin seemed to be made of shadows. She screamed as she felt the first hard tug. Reaching up, she grabbed the edge of the top step and held on. Another hard tug jerked her, nearly ripping her away from the relative safety of the stairs. Just when she thought her leg would be torn off, the door above her burst open and she was blinded by a brilliant flash of light shooting through the darkness.
“Be gone, shadow spawn!” a deep voice boomed, and Karlee felt the thick shadows jerk franticly away. Scrambling up the steps, she saw the shining man who had saved her and ran straight into his arms. A strong arm wrapped around her and she found herself tucked against the man’s side.
From beside the stranger, Karlee could see the source of the brilliant light. It radiated from a small stone he held in the palm of his hand. Beyond him, she could also see the illuminated darkness left in the library basement. The light allowed her to see the collection of books and the wreathing shadows that had chased her. Misshapen human shadows were wriggling in the light as if it was burning them. Staring at it, she felt fear rake over her, violently sending her heart into her throat and blocking the scream she couldn’t seem to conjure.
The man slammed the door, hiding the horrid sight from Karlee and in one smooth motion, took her hand and turned towards the road. “I have to get you out of here,” he said as he started to pull her away from the library and down the sidewalk.
J. R. White has been telling stories for as long as she can remember. After her marriage in 2008 she found the freedom to dive headfirst into her personal world of fiction. Currently she lives in the Upstate of South Carolina with her family, where she fills her daughter’s head with fairy tales.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7135923.J_R_White
Thanks for having me.
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