Excerpt:
Etta plopped back onto her bed and stared at the ceiling for a few moments. I wished I could hear her thoughts. Her father had just admitted to being a murderer for all practical purposes, though that was not how I viewed him. I truly believed John only tried to save the village, but his fervour and some help from a desperate Alastor, turned what should have been a heroic act into a bloodbath. Many men have unknowingly fallen from grace in the name of the greater good. Now, hopefully Etta would see that her father was just the victim of blurred lines between good and evil.
“What are you thinking?” I asked as I lay down next to her on the bed.
“Can a person still go to Heaven even if they've killed someone?”
“Well, I'm not in the business of getting people to Heaven, Etta. That's the last place I want them to go,” I reluctantly replied.
“Even if it were me?” Etta stared hard at me with watery eyes, looking right into my blackened soul. I never gave much thought to where her soul would go, except to stop her from mistakenly giving it to me.
“That is a choice for you to make. I can't force you to choose a side. I can only put the temptations in front of you.”
“You didn't answer my question.”
“What do you want me to say? I want to see you burn in the depths of Hell? You'll never hear that from me. Only you and your actions can decide where you go when you leave this world.”
“I would go if it meant I could be with you, you know.”
“You don't know what you're talking about.” As much as I would have loved for that to be the case, her comment angered me. I couldn't imagine a person like her becoming something like me.
“I know that when you're around I feel safe nothing could ever hurt me. I get butterflies in my stomach when you touch me. I know your soul, Ra. I don't know how, but I know. I knew it the second I saw you. You weren't meant for this existence. You fought for good once, and I'm certain you will again.” Etta was strong in words. She spoke with solid confidence. She described what I felt.
Hello and today I would like to welcome Heaven Liegh Eldeen to My Neurotic Book Affair. She has so graciously agreed to be interviewed.
First, tell us a little about yourself so the readers know who you are?
Thank you for having me, Shari. I currently live in California, where I grew up, with my husband and prince of darkness, and Legos, a.k.a my son. I enjoy moonlit walks on the beach…oh, wait, wrong questionnaire. As you can see, I am a serious goofball. Yeah, figure that oxymoron out. Aside from writing, I spend my days doing dishes, kissing owies, obsessing over my Facebook page, and pretending I'm listening when my husband talk about his work.
2) What made you decide to write? Was it something you accidentally began? Or what you wanted to do? Or annoying character who refused to leave until their story was told?
My writing career began with a rivalry between my sister in law Echo and myself. For years we would go fist to cuffs until finally we took a survey of the collateral damages our feuds caused. In an effort to put an end to the squabbling, she gave me a vampire book for my birthday. It was far from the genre I enjoyed reading, but I had to give it a chance, in an effort for peace. A few months and fifteen vampire books later, I expressed to her I wanted something new. She responded with a snippy “Oh, you think you can do better?” Her reply was intended to be a shot at me but I took it as a challenge. Four months later, my first novel was complete and the love for writing had made its home deep within me.
3) I love hearing about first acceptances as an aspiring writer can you tell us a bit about yours?
Before I received my first acceptance letter, I was really questioning my abilities as a writer. Rejection letter, after rejection letter filled my inbox. No company I sent my pitch to would even read my manuscript due to my lack of credentials and education. I couldn't really blame them to be honest. I knew being a high school drop out with no writing experience would be a tough sale. And though the rejection letters took a toll on me every now and then, I wasn't going to give up so easily.
Then the big day finally came. No joke, when I read The Demon Side's acceptance letter from Decadent Publishing I cried like a baby for a good hour. I called my husband at work, I couldn't speak, I couldn't breathe, which totally scared him. Fearing an emergency my husband came zooming home. He didn't even clear his motorcycle in the garage when I flung myself into his arms balling my eyes out. He squeezes me and says “Okay baby, tell me why I'm about to go to prison for killing someone.” The man still hadn't figured out I was crying because I was happy.
Finally gathering my composure I told him that my novel was going to be published. Before I could let go of him he began jumping up and down, still holding onto me. We stood there hugging for a good thirty minutes. It is one of my most precious moments ever!
4) Tell us about your current release? Where can readers pick up their own copy?
The Demon Side centers around Rahovart, a Demon banished to Earth over five hundred years ago. For centuries, he spends his free time feeding himself on the fear he creates by scaring Quantico, Virginia locals. A master of his craft, Rahovart doesn't think twice when a new family, the Divad's, move into the Victorian home he dwells in.
With a workaholic father, an alcoholic step-mother and a schizophrenic eighteen year old girl, the dysfunctional family unknowingly offers the perfect arsenal for Rahovart to plan his tricks. That is until he learns their daughter; Etta can not only see Demons but is already being tormented by Alastor, an incubus. What starts as a turf war between him, Alastor and the Arch Angels, soon becomes a battle deep within Rahovart of good versus evil and more importantly love versus hate.
The Demon Side will be available through decadentpublishing.com October 21st, 2011.
5) What are you currently writing?
I am currently putting the finishing touches on The Human Side, sequel to The Demon Side as well as four other novels. I have written another novel, Vineyard House, which is currently in the revision process, so hopefully here soon it will be in editing!
6) What inspires you most when you write?
Apart from personal life experiences, my family definitely inspires me, without a doubt, to move up and forward. Of course, I must give credit to music as well. A ton of songs on my IPod have given me the courage to push myself farther than I ever imagined I could.
7) What experiences have you had working with your publisher/s?
Everyone at Decadent Publishing has been fabulous from day one. Not once have I felt out of my league. They have been great, walking me through every process step by step and answering my million and one questions about the process as a whole. A special thanks has to go to my editor, Terry MacFarland, since she caught the brunt of most of my newbie questions.
8) What are you reading now?
I am currently reading What Tangled Webs by Dan Dillard. Filled with incredibly scary and yet hilarious short stories, I can't put it down. Next on my “to read” list is 'Steamside Chronicles' by Ciar Cullen. I absolutely love her work.
9) What are your guilty pleasures?
Besides hiding the bacon from my husband? I enjoy so much in the world, but none you could say is a guilty pleasure. I do have pleasures that may end up in me having to plead guilty, such as taste testing grapes at the super market. Yes I am that lady!
10) What would be your advice, if any, for other aspiring authors?
It sounds corny and I am sure you have all heard it all too often, but no advices rings truer than never…ever…never give up. Every rejection letter is one step closer to an acceptance letter. And remember, your success can only be measured by what you put in the scales.
This is for you to talk more about yourself, leave your blogging details, site details and generally promote yourself.
A few months ago, I had the pleasure of working with twelve other outstanding authors on a short horror story, which you can read at http://www.scareitforward.com. Also, you can always find me posting excerpts, character interviews and bios, along with a few other snippets, on my blog at http://heavenliegheldeen.blogspot.com. Want to know more? Check out The Demon Side on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter!
