This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

 

GENRE:   Supernatural Thriller

 

Description

 

Welcome to Ravens Cove, Alaska, a tiny town nestled in a small hollow on the majestic Cook Inlet. A town familiar with storytelling—after all, Alaska abounds in rich legends. In Ravens Cove, though, legends have a tendency to come to life.

Meet Josiah Williams, the peculiar stranger whose warning to lifetime residents Kat Tovslosky and her cousin, Sheriff Bart Andersen, raises more questions than answers; a man whose dark past and knowledge of the murders make him a suspect more than an ally. Join Kat and Bart as an unlikely troop forms (including a very unwelcome FBI agent) to discover the identity of a killer. The unearthing of which will throw the reluctant warriors into a battle for their very lives and the lives of all who call Ravens Cove home.

 

Interview with Author Mary Ann Poll

 

Do you have a favorite scene? If so, what was it?

Mary Ann: I have several favorite scenes. Here is one of them:

 

Gambogian materialized in front of the cave opening. He opened

his leathery wings and flew at Alese Bricken. The crack shattered

the ravine’s silence.

“She is ours!” his razor-sharp claws snapped open and he lunged

at Alese’s neck.

“Surround Alese Bricken!” Uriel commanded his angel army.

The angel army rushed to Alese Bricken and created a wall of light

around her.

Each angel pointed a fiery sword toward the starless night sky.

Gambogian floated to the ground and snapped his wings shut.

“You do not belong here!” he roared.

“We belong where the Almighty God sends us!” Uriel replied.

He leveled his sword at Gambogian.

Gambogian extended his arm toward the sky. Crimson red sparks

flew from his hand. An ebony sword materialized.

The deafening clang of ethereal swords filled the ravine.

Gambogian and Uriel shot up into the night sky, thunder and

lightning danced above the group as the battle continued.

“You are scaring me!” Kat said.

She stepped backward toward

the arch.

Josiah yelled. “God, help us!”

 

When you’re not writing, what are you up to?

Mary Ann: I swim, garden and play PC games. My husband and I are both busy people. I treasure spending time with him and our two Shelties, especially in the morning, drinking coffee on the patio and chatting about our dreams and ideas.

 

What do you love most about writing?

Mary Ann: I love where writing takes me. By this I mean: I never know where my stories are going to go. I have a rough outline, but my characters take on a life of their own and surprise me, at times, with the decisions they make. It is a thrill to see how the story is enhanced and/or changed by those decisions.

 

Any tips to share with someone who wants to be published?

Mary Ann: Getting published these days can be extremely easy. There are so many people out there in the publishing business. There are some frightening scams, too. It is extremely important to do research on a publisher. Before I decided to either self-publish or go through a publishing house I did the following:

 

I debated sending out query letters to the ‘big houses.’ I heard stories of books that were tied up for months, even a year or more, by those ‘big houses’ who initially accepted the author’s work and left them hanging forever. I debated the self-publishing houses and again read and heard of the horror stories of authors that were taken financially to the point it wasn’t worthwhile to pursue marketing their books. I decided I wanted to be able to look a publisher in the eye. That’s how I met my publisher.

 

Before I saw him, I reviewed his website and the different contracts available to an author. They all seemed above board and fair. I reviewed what authors said about them and it sounded good. I have been with the same publishing house for almost ten years. I have not been disappointed.

 

Do you have a favorite writing environment?

Mary Ann: Yes. My favorite writing environment is on the Kenai Peninsula in Southcentral Alaska. The scenery is awe-inspiring. I used to spend summers writing in Anchor Point, Alaska—a small town about twenty miles north of Homer, Alaska. I had a view of active volcanoes across the Cook Inlet, access to the beach, sightings of moose, eagles and other wildlife. Some of this is described in my books.

 

How do you go about choosing the names for your characters?

Mary Ann: My antagonist, and all but one of his minions are named in archaic language which describes what and who they are: Iconoclast is named such because the definition is, “Destroyer of religious beliefs and symbols.” Atramentous, his second in command, is named such because Atramentous means dark, or black. It is the same with the others in this evil army. The readers may enjoy Googling the different names to see the definition. Some of them are hard to find. But, they are out there.

Other than these, my protagonist is named Kat. It fits her personality. The rest of my character names were intuitive. It is funny how the subconscious works.

 

Do you have a favorite genre you like to read (other than the ones you write in)?

Mary Ann: I enjoy reading murder mysteries and suspense novels.

 

What other books have you written?

Mary Ann: I have written three additional books which comprise the Iconoclast series: Ingress, Gorgon and Dullahan

 

How long have you been a writer?

Mary Ann: I’ve been writing almost my entire life. I have been writing novels since 1999.

 

Print or e-books–do you have a preference?

Mary Ann: I definitely prefer a print book. I enjoy holding the book in my hands and the smell of the paper.

 

Favorite time of day & why?

Mary Ann: Just before the sun comes up. I love watching the dark turn to light and hearing the birds start singing. I am inspired by the different colors of the morning sky.

 

Read an Excerpt

 

“This is Agent Melbourne again. If you hang up, I will call back as many times as it takes. This is urgent. Tell your boss to pick up the phone, and do it now!”

 

Kat-fight mode sounded the first bell in the back of her brain. She knew her orders, and she would enforce them.

 

“With all due respect, Agent, no.” She dropped the phone into the cradle.

 

Ten minutes and several Melbourne calls later, Kat stomped to Bart’s office, angry at being ordered by the know-it-all FBI agent to get her “boss.”

 

Bart looked up to blazing eyes and a flushed face. He leaned back in his chair, linking his hands behind his head, and hoping his body language would diffuse the onslaught of emotion. It didn’t.

 

“There is an Agent Melbourne who keeps calling. He insists on talking to you.”

 

“Told you my policy on nosy outsiders.”

 

Being reprimanded brought the stew of frustration, weariness and hunger to a boil.

 

“Yes,” her voice rose, “yes you have. And, I told him, too. And I hung up. And he called back again, and again, and again. I hung up again, and again and AGAIN. He is now ordering me, under threat of interfering with FBI business, to put my ‘boss’ on the phone. He is on hold.”

 

Bart knew Kat. No matter who paid her, she did not have a “boss.” She had been, and always would be, a freethinker and free spirit. He could not control the grin creeping across his mouth.

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links

 

I’m Mary Ann Poll, America’s Lady of Supernatural Thrillers and charter member of Author Masterminds. The first question most people ask is, “What is an Iconoclast?” Iconoclast means, “The destroyer of religious beliefs or symbols.” I took this definition and applied it to the supernatural realm, which is how the Iconoclast Thriller series was born. My books revolve around the battle between good and evil. They also revolve around the heroic acts of ordinary people who must face extraordinary, even unbelievable, circumstances.

I draw from real-life experiences, as well as my imagination, to create these supernatural thrillers. My love for a creepy, goosebump-creating ghost story and my love for Christ come together in these books.

I am a proud pet lover, which is also reflected in my writing. In my off time, I enjoy gardening, swimming and spending time with beloved family.

I pray you enjoy reading Ravens Cove as much as I enjoyed writing it. Blessings in Christ!

 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4465445.Mary_Ann_Poll

http://maryannpoll.com/

https://www.facebook.com/maryann.poll

https://www.facebook.com/ravenscoveiconoclast/

https://twitter.com/MaryAnnPoll

BUY LINKS

https://authormasterminds.com/purchase/35Pay

 

Mary Ann Poll will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway