Q & A with E.B. Hood
Author: E.B. Hood
Genre: Paranormal, horror
Page Count: 379
Published: November 1, 2012
Book Description: Melanie Dare is a teenage girl. Drugs and abuse by her parents change all that. She is raped and murdered and finds herself awake in a new decade. Melanie becomes Melabeth the vampire, and she is thrust into events outside of her control. Meeting a small circle of friends - not all who can be trusted - she finds herself obsessed with revenge against her killers… but along the way finds love. Her battle for revenge has terrible, unintended consequences, and she will question, who, and what she is. Can her love survive her need for revenge? This is the first part of a three part series about forgiveness.
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Buy Links: Amazon ~ B&N
Q: Tell us a little bit about your main character, Melanie Dare/Melabeth.
A: Melanie grew up in the sixties; her parents were living the hippie life style. Unfortunately, her parents lead a lifestyle that resulted in drug addiction. In 1972, her mother dies of a drug overdose. Left with her father, Melanie grows ups alone and isolated, surrounded by drug heads. She is sold, raped and murdered. She awakens amidst a world of magic and revenge. She has memories of being loved by her parents and grandparents. Not only searches for revenge to those who stole everything from her, but also for love and someone she can count on.
Q: How long have you been writing, and when did you first consider yourself an author?
A: I started writing in November of 2011, in memory of my brother. I did not consider myself an author until I finished my first book. Until that moment I was someone working on a book, a claim I hear from many. It is one thing to say you are writing a book and another to finish it. I never knew I could write, let alone enjoy it to the level that I have.
Q: How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?
A: I grew up in Southern California in a loving house hold. My parents did not allow us to watch any R rated movies, or anything to do with horror. I spent a lot of time camping and made Eagle Scout rank in boy scouts. When I was old enough my interest toward monster movies grew. Whenever I could I watched or read about vampires I did. Looking back at the neighborhood I grew up, it became full of drugs and gangs. Through personal experience I learned a lot about dark places in our world. Witness how drug abuse would change someone into someone else. Through these life experiences and many others, it has shaped my imagination to reflect realty, in the background of fantasy.
Q: What do you see as the biggest challenge for indie authors and what have you been doing to overcome that?
A: I believe the biggest challenge that indie writer faces is; that it may be too easy to write a book and publish it. It is the same thing that makes being an indie writer great, the freedom to write it the way you want and the ease of publishing. Anyone and I mean anyone, can publish a book now. A flood of new books coming out every day and that makes it harder to be noticed in the sea of books. Let's face it; most of them aren't very good. As far as overcoming it… well let's just say it will be a lot of hard work.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve been given?
A: It wasn’t verbal and it came from my father. All my life my father as shown me patience that is unrivaled. Trying to match his patience has given me the strength to persevere without losing my mind.
Q: What do you keep yourself busy with when you're not writing?
A: Family, in which I have three children and a wonderful wife. Ranging from five to nineteen. I work full time as a facility manger. I also involve myself in more than a few hobbies, like: woodwork, archery, target shooting, to name a few.
Q: Which do you prefer, paper books or ebooks?
A: I prefer ebooks, unless they are signed; it so hard to get the ink off my tablet.
Q: What book are you reading now?
A: Crownless Tale of the Banished by Katie Appenheimer. She is a local writer, whom I met at a local event. I found out she lives right down the street from me. I really like helping other first time authors by reading and reviewing their work.
A: Melanie grew up in the sixties; her parents were living the hippie life style. Unfortunately, her parents lead a lifestyle that resulted in drug addiction. In 1972, her mother dies of a drug overdose. Left with her father, Melanie grows ups alone and isolated, surrounded by drug heads. She is sold, raped and murdered. She awakens amidst a world of magic and revenge. She has memories of being loved by her parents and grandparents. Not only searches for revenge to those who stole everything from her, but also for love and someone she can count on.
Q: How long have you been writing, and when did you first consider yourself an author?
A: I started writing in November of 2011, in memory of my brother. I did not consider myself an author until I finished my first book. Until that moment I was someone working on a book, a claim I hear from many. It is one thing to say you are writing a book and another to finish it. I never knew I could write, let alone enjoy it to the level that I have.
Q: How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?
A: I grew up in Southern California in a loving house hold. My parents did not allow us to watch any R rated movies, or anything to do with horror. I spent a lot of time camping and made Eagle Scout rank in boy scouts. When I was old enough my interest toward monster movies grew. Whenever I could I watched or read about vampires I did. Looking back at the neighborhood I grew up, it became full of drugs and gangs. Through personal experience I learned a lot about dark places in our world. Witness how drug abuse would change someone into someone else. Through these life experiences and many others, it has shaped my imagination to reflect realty, in the background of fantasy.
Q: What do you see as the biggest challenge for indie authors and what have you been doing to overcome that?
A: I believe the biggest challenge that indie writer faces is; that it may be too easy to write a book and publish it. It is the same thing that makes being an indie writer great, the freedom to write it the way you want and the ease of publishing. Anyone and I mean anyone, can publish a book now. A flood of new books coming out every day and that makes it harder to be noticed in the sea of books. Let's face it; most of them aren't very good. As far as overcoming it… well let's just say it will be a lot of hard work.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve been given?
A: It wasn’t verbal and it came from my father. All my life my father as shown me patience that is unrivaled. Trying to match his patience has given me the strength to persevere without losing my mind.
Q: What do you keep yourself busy with when you're not writing?
A: Family, in which I have three children and a wonderful wife. Ranging from five to nineteen. I work full time as a facility manger. I also involve myself in more than a few hobbies, like: woodwork, archery, target shooting, to name a few.
Q: Which do you prefer, paper books or ebooks?
A: I prefer ebooks, unless they are signed; it so hard to get the ink off my tablet.
Q: What book are you reading now?
A: Crownless Tale of the Banished by Katie Appenheimer. She is a local writer, whom I met at a local event. I found out she lives right down the street from me. I really like helping other first time authors by reading and reviewing their work.
About the Author: I was born on the West Coast, in Loma Linda, California, in 1975, and raised in Beaumont, CA – where some of my book takes place. I grew up with two brothers and one adopted sister. My parents were strong Christians and wonderful parents. They never fought, drank, or cursed; I had to visit my friend’s houses to see that. I was an Eagle Scout and loved to go camping with my family. We spent a lot of time off roading through the desert on ATC and dune buggies. I picked up my love of target shooting from Boy Scout camps. I still love to shoot, and, instead of riding the desert on my ATC, now I ride the waves on my wave runner.I got married when I was 18, had two boys – Tyler in 1993, and Cory in 1996 – as a young father, I worked at Pizza Hut, until 1997; the same year my first wife and I were divorced.
I had the opportunity to help start a satellite plant in North Carolina for a micro connectors company, so I moved across the country to Salisbury. A year later I was offered a chance to become a tool and die apprentice, and worked as a tool and die maker for nearly nine years.
During these transitions I met the love of my life, Betsy, who is a school teacher. We were married 2003. We welcomed a baby girl, Sonja in 2007. I was unexpectedly laid off while my wife was pregnant. I then began working at a plastic company as a CNC programmer. Once again, after another lay-off in 2009, I decided to be a stay-at-home dad, and also started a computer repair business from home.
Another reason I didn’t return to work when I was laid off in 2009, was to help my parents with my brother, Nick, who was dying of a brain tumor. Nick was my baby brother, three years younger, and my best friend. It was always Nick’s dream to become a writer. I came up with a book idea for my brother to write years ago, but he became too sick, and the story was never written.
There have been a lot of changes in my life in the past five years – jobs, the loss of my brother, the birth of my daughter, and watching my sons grow up so, here I am trying to live out my brother’s dream, and it is to Nick whom I dedicate my first book. I do not consider myself to be a writer. I am, and always will be, a story teller. I have always made up stories in my head, and this is my first one that I wish to share with the world.
I am new to writing, but so far I love it and it has captured my attention completely. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have enjoyed writing them.
Connect with E.B. Hood:
Website: http://www.melabeth.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6579208.E_B_Hood
Great Interview!! :D
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