Please welcome Val Tobin,
author of Walk-In, The Valiant
Chronicles, and Storm Lake to my blog
today.
RW: Tell us about your latest book. What motivated
the story? Where did the idea come from?
A: My latest release was a novel called Walk-In.
It’s a
paranormal romance about a young psychic woman who fights an attraction to a
handsome, but skeptical, novelist while she battles a centuries-old evil
determined to make her his next conquest.
The
idea evolved from my interest in the subject of walk-ins. A walk-in is a spirit
that enters a body to take over its life when the original soul wants out. The
entering soul contracts with the exiting soul to take over the body. It’s an
exchange of souls within a body.
In the
accepted definition, the exchange is mutually desirable. The existing soul in
the body wants out without going through the process of death, and the incoming
soul wants life without going through the process of birth.
I
wondered what would happen if an evil entity wanted a specific body even if the
current resident didn’t want to leave. From that evolved the story for Walk-In.
RW: I’ve also heard of walk-ins who share a
body with the other person. In fact, I know one. They’re diagnosed as persons
with dissociative identity disorder. In the case of my friend, the walk-in and
host personality negotiate for conscious time in the body. The host was in his
fifties when the walk-in showed up.
RW: Generally, how long does it take you to write a
book?
A: Generally, it takes me two to three months to
write a first draft, then another six months to do the revisions and polishes.
RW: Do you have a set schedule for writing or do
you just go with the flow?
A: I have a set schedule, but it’s flexible. When
I’m working on a first draft, I write at least 1,000 words per day.
RW: Tell us about your latest book, including its
genre. Does it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they?
A: My latest book is a prequel to my Valiant
Chronicles stories. It’s primarily a paranormal suspense, though it crosses
into science fiction.
The Valiant Chronicles series is SF.
This
novel is called Earthbound, and tells
the story of a woman who becomes trapped on the earth plane when she learns her
death might not have been from natural causes.
Readers
have been asking for more Valiant Chronicles stories, and, while I’ve got an
idea for a sequel to A Ring of Truth,
I had a desire to visit with previous Agency victims. I’ve always had a curiosity
about what might make a spirit remain on the physical plane rather than cross
over to the other side.
Some
might stay out of fear of what’s on the other side. Others might not want to
leave what they have here. Still others want retribution.
I asked
myself, “What if one of Michael Valiant’s victims refused to cross to try to
stop him? How would that play out, considering he’s not the stone-cold killer
he appears to be at first? From this, I created Jayden McQeen and gave her a
voice, starting at the moment of her death.
RW: How do you come up with story ideas?
A: My story ideas typically evolve from questions
that arouse my curiosity. I contemplate them, and a story idea forms. From
there, my mind typically conjures interesting images, showing me characters or
scenes. Then I must write them down.
RW: What are your thoughts on love scenes in
romance novels?
A: I enjoy reading love scenes and writing them.
They are an important part of any healthy relationship, so I believe they are
critical to a romance story. People are at their most vulnerable during
lovemaking. A love scene is a huge opportunity to develop character or move the
story forward.
RW: What does your husband think of your writing?
A: My husband is my greatest supporter. If it
weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have been able to get as much done as I have.
RW: What can we expect from you in the future?
A: I have an idea for another Valiant Chronicles
prequel, this time from Carolyn Fairchild’s past, and I’ve got another romance
novel idea in the works. And yes, I have a Valiant Chronicles sequel planned. I’m
not sure in what order those stories will be written. I’ve also been asked by
numerous readers to continue the Storm
Lake story.
I hadn’t
intended to continue Storm Lake. It
was a short story that showed a slice of the characters’ lives and what becomes
their horrifying new normal. But readers got attached to Rachel and Jeff and
want to find out how they survive going forward.
RW: Do your fans’ comments and letters influence
you in any way?
A: Yes. If it weren’t for readers requesting
continuations for The Valiant Chronicles
and Storm Lake, I wouldn’t have ideas
percolating in my brain. I thought I was done with these characters, but now
readers have stimulated my own curiosity for what might happen next.
RW: Among your own books, do you have a favorite
book? Favorite hero or heroine?
A: It’s hard to pick a favorite. As with my kids,
I love them all, equally, though perhaps differently. But if I had to be on a
deserted island with just one of my books, I’d pick A Ring of Truth. Michael Valiant and Carolyn Fairchild are my
favorite hero and heroine (I know the question said “or” but I’m cheating and
doing “and.”)
I love
all my heroes and heroines, but Michael and Carolyn suffered more than all the
others. We’ve been through a lot together.
RW: Those are all the questions I have for
you today. Thanks so much for visiting my blog.
Walk-In
The Plot:
Questions
plague psychic reader Viktoria Kovacs when her twin sister, missing for five
years, appears at her door. Why did her sister leave? What happened to her
memory? And how did she end up living with the mysterious millionaire who
claims to be her protector?
When
journalist Aedan McCarthy visits the occult shop where Viktoria works, he’s
researching a novel, not looking for love. Unprepared for the jolt of
electricity that sparks between them, Aedan wants to explore the possibilities.
But
evil lurks, and not everyone is who they appear to be. Getting entangled with
Viktoria might cost Aedan his soul.
A
fast-paced romantic thriller with paranormal elements, Walk-In provides edge-of-the-seat entertainment.
Val’s Bio:
Val studied general arts at the University of
Waterloo, then went to DeVry Toronto to get a diploma in computer information
systems. She worked in the computer industry as a software and web developer
for over ten years, during which time she started to get serious about energy
work and the paranormal and occult.
In October 2004, Val became a certified Reiki
Master/Teacher. She acquired Angel Therapy Practitioner® certification in
March, 2008, in Kona, Hawaii from Doreen Virtue,
PHD.
Val started work on a bachelor of science in
parapsychic science from the American Institute of Holistic Theology in March
of 2007 and received her degree in September 2010. After obtaining her master’s
degree in parapsychology at AIHT in April 2016, Val has set her sights on the
PhD, which she’ll pursue as time and finances permit.
At the end of October 2008, Val returned to
Kona, Hawaii to complete the Advanced ATP® training and in April 2010 to take
the Spiritual Writing workshop and the Mediumship Certification class. Val
wrote freelance for online magazine Suite101, and was Topic Editor for
Paganism/Wicca and Webmaster Resources at Suite.
A published author, she contributed a story to
Doreen Virtue’s Hay House book Angel
Words. Her novels are available on Smashwords, Amazon, and from other retailers.
They are also available in paperback on Createspace,
Amazon, and Barnes &
Noble.
Excerpt:
Viktoria Kovacs’s stomach lurched when she
flipped over the Death card.
Hunched
over the Celtic cross configuration of Tarot cards spread on the coffee table
before her, she mentally slapped herself. Served her right for reading herself
after a long and tiring Saturday doing readings for others.
Her
job at The Green Witch, the new age store where she worked from Tuesday to Saturday,
entailed doing psychic readings and manning the cash register when need
dictated. Despite fatigue after the busy day, a sense of impending doom had
compelled her to do a reading for herself.
Viktoria
had barely kicked off her shoes before she’d sat down to it and now regretted
the decision. The Tarot, of all things. What had possessed her to use the Tarot
when she had oracle cards available?
Too
late now. All she could do was take the bad news. She examined the spread,
hoping to coax something uplifting from it. Hadn’t she suspected it would be
bad news? All day dread had hovered over her.
It
had taken all her self-restraint to wait until she’d arrived home to break out
the cards. Sure, she could have asked one of the other readers to do it for
her, but then they’d know how frightened she’d become. They’d either not
believe her, which would frustrate her, or they’d take her seriously, which
would kick her terror up another notch.
Certain
something horrific was coming, Viktoria came home to figure it out on her own.
Now she sat staring at the Death spread.
The
Death card didn’t signify death, regardless of the implication inherent in its
name. It meant change or renewal. Based on its position in the cross, though,
the change it heralded had negative connotations. In the near future, a man
would enter her life, and he would cause her harm. Family would influence the
situation.
Viktoria
gazed down and to the right, the stance she assumed when she received
clairvoyant information. She preferred to call the images received “impressions.”
They never appeared crisp and clear in her mind. She could describe what she
saw in detail—could even draw it—but the image always hovered just outside of
distinction.
This
time, her face floated before her, but instead of mahogany waves, her hair was
blonde and cut to shoulder length. Blood-red lips formed an “O” of amazement,
and the deep brown eyes went wide.
The
image vanished, replaced by another: A pen and paper.
Then
that, too, disappeared.
A
teak coffin, new and shiny. Gone.
Flashes
of images flickered by so quickly she couldn’t identify them.
Viktoria
leaned back, breathless. Too fast. She couldn’t understand what she’d seen.
Walter,
her orange and white tabby cat, thumped into her lap, and she jumped.
After
her heart stopped hammering, she stroked him, letting him settle his warm body
on her thighs.
Should
have used the oracle cards.
Again,
she pushed the thought away. Regrets were useless and, in this instance,
unnecessary. The oracle cards would help her get clarity as well as provide
positive guidance. She scooped up the Tarot cards without completing the
reading and set them aside.
As
she tipped the cat from her lap and rose to get the other deck from her home
office, her apartment buzzer sounded. Not expecting company, she froze.
An
image of a swarthy man, face hidden in shadow, flashed into her mind’s eye.
She
considered ignoring the intercom, but when the buzzer went off again, she
walked over to the door and pressed the speaker button.
“Yes?”
“Viktoria
Kovacs?” The voice was soft, feminine, and tremulous.
“Yes?”
Viktoria sucked in a breath. Her hands shook, and a knot formed in her stomach.
The uneasiness that had plagued her all afternoon returned full force.
“May
I come up?”
“Who
are you?”
Silence,
except for the slight static of the intercom, stretched out.
“Hello?
Are you still there?”
A
loud exhalation of breath came through the speaker. “It’ll be easier to explain
who I am if you let me come up.”
Viktoria
imagined buzzing the woman up and then opening the door to a home invasion.
“I
don’t think so.” Too bad she couldn’t see into the lobby and at least get a
glimpse of the stranger. What if others were with her?
“Please.
It’s just me.”
“Tell
me who you are and what you want. You might be a jewel thief.” Viktoria
recalled a sitcom where one of the characters had let a jewel thief into the
apartment building. No way would she buzz in a stranger.
But
the woman had used Viktoria’s first name, and that wasn’t listed on the
directory.
A
light chuckle floated up through the intercom. “I’m not a jewel thief.”
After
a pause, the woman continued. “I’m sorry to tell you like this, Viki. I wanted
to avoid it.”
The
woman paused again, and, in that quiet moment, the voice echoed in Viktoria’s
mind. Her heart thudded with recognition.
No.
Impossible.
Breath
held, Viktoria waited.
“I’m
Eszter.” A choked sob carried up to Viktoria, and she staggered away from the
intercom as if she’d been struck.
The
buzzer zapped again and again like an angry swarm of bees.
Viktoria
pressed the intercom. “Eszter’s gone.”
“Please.
Let me up. I’ll prove it to you. Viki, please.”
Numbness
spreading over her, Viktoria released the intercom and pressed the button to
open the lobby doors. In the ensuing silence, she backed against the wall and
slid down to the floor.
Contacts:
Author Website: http://www.valtobin.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/valtobinauthor/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/valandbob
Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/Val-Tobin/e/B00KC5S69K
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/rtoAY-5fPhY
Buy Links:
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