Please welcome author Jeanette Pekala to the blog today! She is sharing with us more about her book 'Culture Shock,' as well as a bit about herself. Please feel free to leave her any comments or questions below!
I had this crazy nightmare one night, one so real and so malicious that it shook me to my core. I woke shaking with fear much the same way Macy Holmes, the main character, does in the book. Once I calmed down from the nightmare, I was able to think clearly. I thought that this nightmare would be a great concept for a book, so I grabbed a dried-out green marker and some scrap paper and jotted down the nightmare. The story built from there.You are currently working on Book 2. Any idea how many books will be in the series?
Three books in total. I’m currently working on book 2, Shock Wave. The 3rd book, untitled, is told from a different point of view but is a continuation of the series. I won’t tell you who the speaker of book 3 is since it will blow the premise for book 2. You’ll just have to wait and see.Which characters have been the most fun to write?
Max, the sexy werewolf with the evil grin, Rodney Starks, the uber countrified town gossip, and Raleigh McPhee, the drunk town sheriff.
What is your favorite scene in this book?
The paint war between Macy and her love interest, Chad. It’s very fun and intimate.Do you have any other projects in the works?
I’m halfway finished with book 2, Shock Wave. I’m also working on some short stories, psycho, yet humorous.You live near the area in which the fictitious Bougainvillea exists, which helps to make it a logical setting for your writing. What else about this area lends itself to being the perfect place for this story?
When I first moved to the area to attend the University of Florida, I fell in love. It’s a kiss of the southern landscape that south Florida (near Miami) was lacking. I was more than ready to toss the fast life behind and embrace the slower pace of this beautiful country setting. It still shocks me how nice people are and the rich history of the area will soothe the history buff I am. The gorgeous old homes surrounded by moss-laden granddaddy oaks, cobblestone carriage roads behind homes, the beautiful springs, rivers, and lakes. You just can’t beat it. The weather is great as well with mild seasons (the leaves change color and drop then vibrant colored flowers spring up) as compared to where I grew up which has two seasons…hot and rainy.
Would you ever like to visit Bougainvillea?
Yes. I’d like to go hang out at the Forrester compound during one of their bonfires. I’d also like to shop at the Still Chic Boutique.Have you ever had any paranormal or supernatural encounters of your own?
Can’t say that I have, but it would be pretty cool. What am I saying? I total chickensh*t. I’d be running for the hills.What is something that readers may be surprised to learn about you?
I used to hate reading. All of my life I could never find interest in a good book. I know, it’s blasphemous, you can put the torches and pitch forks away…I’m different now. I think I never got into it since I was a very busy child, playing sports and doing activities constantly that I could never find a good book to read. Finally, when my husband was deployed for the second time, I was working from home with 2 small children, so I had some downtime. I picked up a book and started reading; I felt it was a great distraction from focusing too much on my husband’s safety, so I kept reading and reading. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Now I can’t stop reading. I devour one book after another.Anything else you would like to add?
The journey Macy takes in Culture Shock is to break out of her cocoon and become a confident person. She’s trying to prove to herself that it’s okay to be “me”. Throughout the book she starts to embrace her uniqueness, in her unfamiliar surroundings which should have made her more recluse, yet she finds confidence at every step. So what I’m trying to say is to love being who you are. Embrace your individuality because that is what sets you apart from the herd, it’s what makes you…you.Thank you so much for your time!
After finishing her degree in Sociology from the University of Florida, Jeanette Pekala had no idea what she wanted to do with her life.
While her husband was deployed overseas, she focused on what she loved to do, write, where she has finally found an outlet for her overactive imagination.
She lives a not so normal life just a wee bit north of Bougainvillea where she resides with her husband and two children working on Shock Wave, book 2 in the Culture Shock Series.
Facebook: https://www.
Goodreads: http://www.
Blog: http://
Website: http://
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Culture
Shock
Culture Shock Series Book One
Culture Shock Series Book One
Jeanette Pekala
Genre: YA Paranormal
ebook: 978-0-9891584-0-4
paperback:
978-0-9891584-1-1
ASIN: B00BVMAF6K
Number of pages: 676
Word Count: 135,000
Cover Artist: Bonnie
Alford
Book Description:
CULTURE SHOCK is a witty
tale of mystery and romance with a large helping of southern
hospitality.
Macy Holmes is a
seventeen-year-old socially-isolated introvert since her best
friend's death a year ago. When her family decides to move from
Manhattan to the quaint country town of Bougainvillea, Florida, Macy
finds she's in a completely different world. Macy is no longer the
outsider hiding behind designer clothes when she is sought out by
three strange students, one of whom she is particularly interested
in. The more time she spends with Chad the more things don't add up.
When his true identity is finally revealed, Macy is pulled into a
supernatural society with its saturation of inhabitants residing in
Bougainvillea.
You would think she has
enough on her plate, but no, then her dreams become infiltrated by an
external magical force, Macy and her band of supernatural misfits
must find the culprit behind the magic-induced nightmares. They must
dodge zombie assassins, shifty shape-shifters and high school bullies
in order to stop this perpetrator before Macy, her friends or her
parents pay the ultimate price.
Especially when Macy has
the sneaking suspicion that these dreams are reality...
Read an excerpt:
We found a spot over by the water free of sawgrass. It was a beautiful view. On the back end of the lake was a dense forest. It was dark just beyond the first set of trees. That was the only end of the lake that had remained uninhabited. There was a syrupy mist rising slowly off the surface of the water. It was creepy, but romantic in a sinister way. The sights, sounds, and smells all mingled together to create a scene an artist would love to capture with the stroke of his brush.
Buy links: AmazonKindle \ Amazon Paperback \ Paperback \
BN
Nook
Tour wide give away 10 eBook Copies Culture Shock
a Rafflecopter giveaway
No comments:
Post a Comment