Let’s give a big welcome to Kelly Hashway as she celebrates her newest release, the YA paranormal romance INTO THE FIRE. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Hi, Kelly! What inspired you to write INTO THE FIRE?
When I was growing up, my mother watched reruns of the original TV series Dark Shadows. There were a few episodes that featured a woman who was a Phoenix. Every so many years she’d die in fire and be reborn from the ashes. For some reason, this stuck with me and I knew I had to write about a cast of characters who were Phoenixes.
The target audience for INTO THE FIRE are teens. What books had the most influence on you when you were that age?
I loved paranormal and horror novels. I was constantly reading those, which I’m sure is why I write them today. I can’t really pinpoint any specific titles though. It was the genres themselves that influenced me.
If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring two books and one movie, what would you bring?
Only two books? That’s a nightmare! Okay, I’ll go with
Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan and
Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick. Those are still my top two picks even though they’ve been out for years. As for the movie, I’ll pick
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two. You can’t go wrong with that one because there are so many emotions involved.
You write a lot of paranormal stories. What is it about that genre that keeps you coming back?
To me, paranormal is the real world but better. Anything can happen and people tend to have extraordinary abilities. I feel like there’s always something new to discover in this genre.
What is the single best piece of advice you have for aspiring authors?
The best advice is probably the simplest. Read. It’s the best form of research you can do (not to mention the most fun), and by reading you’re supporting the industry you want to work in.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
I’ve always wanted to fly, mostly because I hate driving. 😉 I used to dream about flying when I was very little though, so the obsession started long before I got my driver’s license. I’ve always envied birds because they can walk, run, or fly. It would be really cool to soar above the world and see it from a different perspective.
INTO THE FIRE by Kelly Hashway
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
– SYNOPSIS –
In one month’s time, seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman will die and be reborn from her own ashes…
Her life of secrecy has never been easy. She’s watched her younger brother, Jeremy, burn and rise again in a coming-of-age process called rebirth. And just like her brother, when her time comes, she won’t remember anything from her first life other than she’s a Phoenix—a member of a small group of people descended from the mythical Phoenix bird.
The last thing she needs to worry about is falling for the new guy in town—Logan Schmidt.
Cara is drawn to Logan in a way she can’t explain, but she’s not exactly complaining. Everything is perfect…except it’s not. Once she’s reborn, she’ll forget Logan. And to make things worse, a Phoenix Hunter is on the loose, and Cara’s involvement with Logan is bringing out her Phoenix qualities—the very qualities that will draw the Hunter right to her.
Desperate times call for desperate measures…
Afraid of hurting Logan, Cara breaks it off for good. But her attraction to him runs deeper than a typical high school crush. She wants him—needs him. And if he proves willing to stay by her side, their love might destroy them both.
Can Cara hide from the Phoenix Hunters long enough to survive her rebirth? And if so, will it mean a new beginning with Logan—or the beginning of the end?
– PURCHASE –
– ABOUT THE AUTHOR –
Kelly Hashway grew up reading R.L. Stein’s Fear Street novels and writing stories of her own, so it was no surprise to her family when she majored in English and later obtained a masters degree in English Secondary Education from East Stroudsburg University. After teaching middle school language arts for seven years, Hashway went back to school and focused specifically on writing. She is now the author of three young adult series, one middle grade series, and several picture books. She also writes contemporary romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake. When she isn’t writing, Hashway works as a freelance editor for small presses as well as for her own list of clients. In her spare time, she enjoys running, traveling, and volunteering with the PTO. Hashway currently resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, daughter, and two pets.
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