Author Interview with Sandra Bischoff & an Excerpt from BEYOND THE SUN
Today, I’m delighted to welcome author Sandra Bischoff to my blog.
First, let’s get to know Sandra…
How did you go about writing your debut novel? Did you plan it out or start writing and see where it goes?
My first novel, Beyond the Sun, started out as a fan fic blog post. I was a member of an online Role Play group for Sherrilyn Kenyon books. The character I wrote the blog for was Otto Carvaletti involving the death of his fiancé. The post moved me and the characters evolved into originals. I had to finish their story. It took several years but the final novel was one I am very proud of.
What’s the hardest thing about being a writer?
Honestly, it’s finding the time to sit down and actually write. I have a full time job outside of the home, I’m married and I have a 19 year old son. It’s a little easier now that he is grown up but when he was little writing became nearly impossible.
What is it that drew you to the fantasy genre?
I love being able to create my own world and rules to go along with it. In the Fantasy/Paranormal genres there is no limitations to what you can write. Your vision of a certain type of character can be different than someone elses and that’s ok.
Would you ever consider writing anything outside of it?
I’m actually thinking about writing comedy. An anthology of short stories.
Top five favourite books?
- The North and South series by John Jakes
- Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
- Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon
- Lover Avenged by JR Ward
- Le Morte d’Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table byThomas Malory
Who has inspired your writing the most?
My writing group. I know everyone wants to hear what author made me start writing and if I were to be fair I can say Sherrilyn Kenyon. But in all honesty, the members of my writing group are who keep me inspired and writing. They are Renee Murphy, Christina Bledsoe and Quamaine Byrd.
Have you got any advice for aspiring writers?
Don’t let anyone tell you that you aren’t good enough. Believe in yourself and write every day whether it’s 2000 words or only 100. Every little bit counts.
Let’s find out about Sandra’s book, BEYOND THE SUN!
Beyond the sun
Book one
Dark order of the dragon series
Blurb ~
Fifteen years ago Jared Bonatelli had it all. The youngest son of
one of the founding families in the Conservatorship of The Dark Order he lived
a life you only thought existed in novels and nightmares. After becoming
engaged to his childhood sweetheart, he loses it all in one violent act. Since
that night he has suffered reliving his fiancé’s murder repeatedly in his
dreams. After an emergency meeting of the Conservatorship, Jared finds that the
comfortable world he lives is beginning to crumble at his feet.
Alexandra Toscano has been searching for the one assignment that could catapult
her journalistic career. When her editor Gene O’Hanlon drops a manila folder in
her lap, Alex is immediately skeptical. At first glance the information he
hands her seems like a publicity piece that is till she comes across an article
he wrote some fifteen years ago about Vampires murdering a young woman in
Central Park. But that isn’t what intrigues her the most. It’s the photo of the
woman’s fiancé that captures her eye, Jared Bonatelli.
Now as Alex begins to dig deeper into Jared’s life she begins to question her
own past. Could the answer she seeks be found in the glowing eyes of the one
person she is sworn to expose? Or will they both find themselves torn apart by
a world Beyond the Sun?
Excerpt ~
Sweat ran in rivulets down his forehead and into his closed eyes. He savored the burn from his most recent work out and made no move to wipe the sweat away. Jared gave up his uniform, opting for black sweat pants and bare feet. He’d been confined and claustrophobic in the uniform. He needed freedom when he moved. And man could he move. With every punch, kick, and block, he flowed across the room like quicksilver. He never felt stronger or fuller of life than right now. Sure, he’d had fulfilling workouts in the past, but none of them equaled the total sense of invincibility washing over him.
Kneeling on the floor with his hands resting on his thighs, Jared took a deep, steadying breath and eased into a peaceful meditation. Sweat continued to slowly make its way south over his chest. He felt each individual drop take its journey down his body to be absorbed by the waistband of his sweats. He rolled his head back and around, loosening the taut muscles in his neck before resting his chin on his chest. His shoulders relaxed next, then his upper torso. The tight pull from a scarred over bite mark on his shoulder reminded him of his greatest loss, Giovanna.
Absently, he reached up and touched the puckered surface of the scar.
Things had been so different back then. Fresh out of college with a chip on his shoulder, Jared thought he could take on the world. Until, he lost the one thing he loved more than life itself.
The sirens on the ambulance stopped as it pulled up behind the carriage. Two men climbed out of the cab and headed toward them. Jared held Giovanna’s limp form close. He kissed the top of her head, letting his tears fall on her blood streaked cheek.
One of the paramedics touched his shoulder. “Jared, I’m sorry man, but I have to do my job here. Don’t worry. I’ll take real good care of G for you. I won’t let anything happen to her.”
Jared lifted his eyes from Giovanna’s serene face, ready to shove the man away until he realized it was his brother. “You do, Tony, and it will be the last thing you ever do.”
“Listen bro, let me and Carlos take care of her. I called Dad, and I’m sure he already notified everyone. We can’t leave her out in the open like this. You can trust me. I’ll make sure she gets where she has to go safely.”
Jared watched, heartbroken as Tony lifted her from the carriage onto the waiting stretcher. True to his word, his brother was gentle and careful with her. When the ambulance pulled away, and he was left alone, he fell to his knees clutching her shawl in agony.
The tension in Jared’s body slowly faded with the memory. He couldn’t believe after all of this time it still affected him so much. Thank the gods above for the people who had shown him life was still worth living.
The sun set well over an hour ago, but Jared hadn’t bothered turning on the fluorescent lights. The full moon gleamed off the polished hardwood through the floor length windows, illuminating the room.
A shadow passed across the floor in front of him. Anyone else would assume it was an owl flying past the window or a cloud obscuring the moon. Except it moved too quickly. The untrained eye would have missed it, but not Jared.
Jared listened. The weight of the silence in the room was deafening. He focused on the darkened corners of the room. There was a presence here, and it was definitely vampire. He could feel its aura. He possessed a sixth sense for them.
The creak of leather allowed him to pinpoint the location of his intruder. Jared slowly wrapped his fingers around the wooden staff resting on the floor before him and waited.
Come to Papa, asshole.
About the Author
I live in the historic town of Cornwall, NY with my extremely patient husband and teenage son, whom I affectionately call the Demon. I am a Pharmacist by profession but found my true calling in a simple twist of fate. A friend approached me to write Sherrilyn Kenyon Dark Hunter Roleplay in a forum on a popular networking website. I wrote a few of her popular characters including Simi, Apollymi, Medea, Acheron, Otto and an original Dark Hunter, Mikhail. Over the next five years my passion had found its niche. I went on to compose a few poems and short stories which I posted on my homepage at the same networking site.
My debut novel, Beyond the Sun, started out as a short story I created for Otto but quickly evolved into something else. This is how Jared Bonatelli was born. His story was published April 2013 by Bayou Brew Publishing. That same year I was named to Amazon’s best seller list in the Fantasy/Epic category. It was a true honor.
My second book in this series entitled Beyond Time was released May 2014 for the Romantic Times Convention in New Orleans. I was a featured author at the Giant Book Fair during the convention. Lance’s story is one very close to my heart. It draws from my obsession with everything King Arthur and Camelot. You get to witness him go through a period of self-discovery that spans two different time periods.
In September of 2015 I left Bayou Brew Publishing to embark on the next chapter of my writing career, Independent Publishing. I have been honing my skills creating book covers as well as my own formatting that can be seen in Beyond Time. As of this time I re-released both books in e-book and paperback formats. They can be found on Amazon.com and in the store located on my website.
I am currently working on my third book in the Dark Order of the Dragon Series, Drakkar Beyond the Lie.
Buy link ~
Amazon US ~ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OTRRM2Y
Amazon UK ~ http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00OTRRM2Y
Find Sandra Online
Website ~ http://sandibischoff.webs.com/
Blog ~ http://sbischoff.wordpress.com/
Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSandiBischoff
Twitter ~ https://twitter.com/SandiBischoff
Goodreads ~ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7031254
Google+ ~ https://plus.google.com/u/0/+SandiBischoffAuthor/posts
YouTube ~ https://www.youtube.com/user/rsb6494
