I have met the most talented people while writing for Biff Bam Pop
and my own blog, Gilbertcuriosities. When I learn that my on-line friends have
published a book, I’m eager to promote them, especially because I know from
following their blogs that their stories will not only be interesting, but best
sellers. I’m honored to have Leo Craven as a guest on Gilbertcuriosities and
today we are going to learn more about his book Hallows End and the lead
character, Sarah Chase.
Marie Gilbert: Thank you Leo for visiting my blog. Tell us a
little bit about yourself and what type of stories you like to read and write?
Leo Craven: I am an author and
marketing professional, living in a small, tranquil town near Pismo Beach,
California with my wonderful wife and kids.
The first book I remember really enjoying was “The Hobbit” when I was
about ten years old. While I found the
presence of goblins, dwarves and wizards to be exciting, it was Smaug (the
dragon) that made the reading experience truly memorable for me. My parents were huge science-fiction /
fantasy fans so as I continued into my adolescent years, it was the likes of
J.R.R. Tolkien and Edgar Rice Burroughs who shaped my literary world.
These days I take pleasure
in reading much of the same, having also added the horror genre to my must-read
lists (thank you Bram Stoker). It’s not
just books for me though; I love all mediums involved in the art of ‘story
telling’, including graphic novels, music and movies. As a writer, I’m primarily invested in the
Sarah Chase book series along with some short stories and the occasional
song. Down the road, however, I hope to
add graphic novel and movie script development to my creative endeavors.
Marie Gilbert: Tell us a little bit about the book, and your
inspiration for the story and the main character, Sarah Chase.
Leo Craven: I enjoy stories with
heroes and heroines that as a reader / viewer I can both cheer for and relate
to. ‘Boy scout’ characters like Superman
and Captain America are fun to watch in action, but they’re almost flawless,
making it hard for most of us to identify with.
I always find it more interesting when the hero or heroine is
conflicted. I also strongly believe it’s
a shame that more lead characters in action stories aren’t female.
My primary motivation in
writing “Hallows End” was to create a strong female lead through the character
of Sarah Chase. She is the ideal
‘conflicted heroine’ in my opinion, working as a police detective by day and
operating as a vigilante vampire and werewolf hunter at night. Although this first book introduces a wave of
exciting characters and mythological elements, the Prophecy Trilogy is
ultimately about Sarah Chase and her evolution from vigilante to heroine.
Another important facet to
“Hallows End” and anything else you see published by Leo Craven is that my
stories are written for adults. I
believe the current ‘YA’ (Young Adult) trend has produced some marvelous
literary works, but I do wonder how long these “PG / PG-13” novels will keep
the interest of adult readers in the long term.
Marie Gilbert: Is this the first of your books published? If no,
list your other works. If this is your first book published, will we be
seeing more of Sarah Chase?
Leo Craven: “Hallows End” (Part I of
the Prophecy Trilogy) is the first in the Sarah Chase series as well as my
debut novel. My goal is to release the
second part of the trilogy on Friday the 13th this June 2014 and the
final installment on Friday the 13th in February 2015. I like the idea of branding myself as the
“Friday the 13th” author; plus, it gives me a nice timetable to
aspire to for my book releases. I have
also published a few other short stories, poems and songs on my website, Leocraven.com
Marie Gilbert: Did you go traditional or self-publishing?
Leo Craven: I self-published. I like to take risks and I’m more than
willing to learn from my mistakes. I
figured it could take months (if not years) before a publishing house picked up
“Hallows End”, and even then they could realistically require me to go through
several re-writes before publishing my book.
In that same amount of time I figured I could publish the entire Prophecy
Trilogy myself and allow the world to decide if Sarah Chase is worth reading
about.
Marie Gilbert. Leo, would you list the sites where my readers can
find you and the link to buy your book.
Leo Craven: My official website is Leocraven.com.
My book is currently
available exclusively on Amazon:
Marie
Gilbert: Leo it was a pleasure having you as my guest and to all my followers
out there, check out “Hallows End” and let Leo and I know what you liked best
about the book.
Leo
Craven: “Thank you so much Marie Gilbert for the interview and for your
support!”
Thanks Marie,now interested in reading the books. Jill
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