Guest Post
Inside the Mind of the Author by C.D. Gorri
I thought a lot about what to write for this post and I admit I was a little scared. I mean what is going on up there? Inside my mind. Well, let’s start with some facts. I am 35 years old, a mother of three, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a school volunteer, and of course, a writer. My children are involved in many school and recreational activities which my husband and I try to be a part of whenever possible. I have so many things going on all the time I am sometimes flabbergasted when people who see me as a stay at home mom ask me what it is I do all day. I let the snarkiness go now that I have published my first ebook because now I can proudly say, oh yeah I am a stay at home mom, but I am also a writer.Writing has really helped me clear out and organize some of the stuff my mind is crowded with. I consider myself an eternal student so I am always reading, looking things up, watching educational programs, listening to music, googling stuff on the web. I would have stayed in school forever if possible. I mean I was probably the only one out of everyone at Montclair State during my time there who earned a BA in English with no intention of teaching or becoming a journalist. I just wanted to read and write. Seriously. I mean I just love to learn.
For example, I start off listening to a Nirvana song, then I think about Kurt Cobain, then I look him up and see he committed suicide when he was 27. Then I start thinking about other rock stars who died at 27 and I look that up. Then I get this idea that perhaps these musicians have something in common and so on and so forth. The 27 club myth? Perhaps there is a supernatural element? Did they sell their souls for success? A crossroads demon perhaps? And…I feel a story coming on.
That is basically how my mind starts working. For Wolf Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel I became sort of obsessed with the idea of drawing from my own background, Italian, Catholic, private schools… That’s what all the greats advise, isn’t it? Write what you know. I also wanted to write something that my kids could read and that they could identify with. So yes, we are Catholic, I am not trying to convert anyone though and sure I have problems with Church politics and policies. Nobody’s perfect. And religion rarely is. But my husband and I were raised Catholic and made the decision to raise our children in our faith as well. I strongly feel religion is a personal choice and all faiths should be treated with respect.
I also wanted it to be interesting, so yeah, teenagers, Werewolves, Witches and Demons. Grazi is Catholic and is bound by contract to serve the Hounds of God, a secret Werewolf organization that essentially works for the Roman Catholic Church. I also have her attending a Catholic high school, which is where I drew on some of my own experiences.
Wolf Moon is the first installment in what I intend to be a series of books. It is also the shortest. Under 50,000 words it is a fast paced read that I designed to introduce Grazi and her world.
The fact that it is a world I created sort of makes me geek out at times. I mean, wow, it is something alright. A whole universe came out of the jumble that is my mind, you know the same one that sometimes forgets where the keys are, or to pick up shampoo at the grocery store. Yeah, that one. Cool.
I just want to say thank you Amanda for hosting me here on Wicca Witch 4 Book Blog and thank you all of you for taking the time to read this! You can find links to my ebook and where to connect with me on my website
http://www.cdgorri.com . Don’t forget to leave a review for Wolf Moon: A Grazi Kelly novel by C.D. Gorri, available at Smashwords, iTunes, Amazon, Kobo, Google Play, Oyster and more.
Thanks and happy reading!
del mare alla stella,
C.D. Gorri
My Interview
This is a book that no one is going to want to put down as it has got everything excitement, adventure, love and of course and uniqueness all its own that blows its competition out of the water. trust me this is a book you don't want to miss out on!
Grazi Kelly is thrust into a world she isn't sure really exists at first until the bodies start to pile up. She has no choice to start to believe the stories after she witness the evil afoot in her very own school and her own neighbourhood. But can she really trust those around her to tell her the truth? and is she a danger to the loved ones around her?
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what made you delve into the world of writing?
I have always wanted to be a writer. It has been my dream for as long as I can remember. I earned a BA in English from Montclair State University in 2000. Reading has always been a passion of mine. I read a lot of different genres and I love to learn about new things. I have always kept notebooks where I would jot down notes or musings that would come to mind. I remember drawing and writing a comic book strip based on David Bowie’s Space Odyssey when I was about eight. I guess I just love storytelling. It serves so many purposes. People tell stories to preserve history, to carry on tradition, to express emotion, to explore imagination, to delve into places no one ever has, to teach, to explain, to entertain, the list is endless. Writing provides endless possibility and fulfilment for me in ways I never imagined.
Q: Can you please tell us a little about your book wolf moon and what inspired you write it?
Being a mom to three great kids who range in ages from teen to preschooler led me to read a lot of teen/ya and children’s lit the last twelve years or so. I absolutely fell in love with this genre and am committed to contributing to it. I wanted to write something that people could read and enjoy and maybe relate to a little.
Wolf Moon is the first in my series about sophomore Grazi Kelly. She attends Sacred Heart Preparatory School, something I know a bit about having attended Catholic school from grades K through 12. She lives with her maternal grandmother, Nonna Rosa, her Uncle Vito, and his wife and children. Grazi is basically a smart girl who follows the rules and does her chores. She is trying to get through life and school without being harassed by her spoiled cousin Julianna and her cheerleader clones. And if the super cute soccer star, Sebastian, notices her than that would be okay too.
Her parents died when she was three and she remembers very little about them except for a recurring dream about her mother. Life in her Northern New Jersey suburb is pretty uneventful, that is until bodies start popping up and Grazi gets caught in the middle. She soon learns that there is more to her than she could have imagined. For the first time she meets members of her father’s family and is told that she, ordinary Grazi Kelly, is everything but. She is in fact a Werewolf, and not just any Werewolf. She is bound by an ancient pact to serve the Hounds of God in their battle against Demons and the Witches who serve them to keep the world safe for humanity.
Q: Can you tell us about your writing process? Which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?
The idea for my series started out very generally. I knew I wanted to write something in the YA paranormal fiction genre, but I was unsure what exactly. I read most of the really popular supernatural series and am a big fan of all the stories about, Demons, Vampires, Witches and Werewolves. Movies too. I’ve always been a bit of a movie buff.
I particularly liked the idea of centring my story on Werewolves, because for one thing they are alive and I thought, hey that’s cool. In Grazi’s world the Werewolves have families, friends, they eat food, they have jobs, go to school, play sports etc… Yes, they do have packs, but they are individuals too. The Hounds of God are like a super pack of Werewolves who function as a team in order to accomplish the impossible. They basically save the world one battle at a time.
Grazi is a bit of loner in the beginning, but after discovering her Werewolf heritage she finds herself with more family than she knew existed and discovers that she is a member of a very old and very powerful pack. In her journey she will find she can be her own person and still part of a team.
I wanted readers to be able to relate to some aspects of the Werewolves in this series and maybe to inspire them as well. Wouldn't it be awesome if Grazi’s story helped some kids understand the importance of being an individual as well as the necessity of teamwork and cooperation? There has got to be a healthy balance in life and part of Grazi’s story is finding hers.
Q: What made you want to write as story were Werewolves were Hounds of God instead of the hounds of hell most would see them as?
I think Werewolves get a bad rap as being inhuman animals and mindless monster types. I see them more as soldiers, artists, family types with huge streaks of loyalty and bravery. I wrote the Werewolves in Wolf Moon as Hounds of God based on some reading I did on the background of werewolves. I am talking really old texts here. Most of them, thankfully, are now available on the internet. I was probably most influenced by the tale of Thiess of Kaltenbrun. He was an actual guy who lived in 1692 claimed to be a Werewolf. He claimed that he fought for God as a wolf, not against Him. Of course he was banished and declared evil, but I thought hey, that’s a good story.
Q: How did you come up with Maria's unusual name Grazi?
I have an Italian background and wanted to bring some of that into Grazi’s story. Maria Graziana basically means “thank you Mary” in Italian (referring to Jesus’ mother). Having been raised Catholic by Italian parents, Grazi’s name seemed to fit where I was going with Wolf Moon. I actually have an aunt named Maria Grazia. After six boys my grandmother was so happy to finally have her girl that was the name she chose. I imagine Grazi’s mom and dad would have been very grateful for her being born healthy and happy and her name expresses that.
Q: I loved all the supernatural creatures talked about and touched on in this book. Will we get to see more battles with these creatures in the second book?
Thank you so very much! I am so glad you enjoyed it. The answer is yes. Absolutely! Grazi’s world is going to broaden dramatically in book two, Hunter Moon. You will see Witches, Vampires, Gypsies, Demons, Night Hags, Werewolves (of course) and more!
Q: Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)?
LOL. Actually I do have some. Sometimes I will be watching a TV show or reading a book and my mind wanders so I grab a pen and a notebook (one of many I try to keep around otherwise I have a tendency to write on my hand) and I just start writing. Sometimes its character dialogue, other times it’s just impressions, feelings or even song lyrics I find inspiring. The hardest part is finding time to write, but when it is what you want to be doing with your life, you just have to do it.
Q: What books/authors have influenced your life?
I love reading. There are so many authors that have influenced me, so off the top of my head I’m going to say Shakespeare, the Bronte Sisters, Jane Austen, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Mary Shelley, Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, J.R.R. Tolkein, George R. R. Martin, Christopher Paolini, Suzanne Collins, Nora Roberts, Diana Palmer, Stephenie Meyers, Brandon Mull, Patricia Briggs, J.R. Ward, J.R. Rain, Chanda Hahn, Lilith Saintcrow….and many more.
Q: What is next for you? Do you have any scheduled upcoming releases or works in progress?
Yes. I am working on Hunter Moon, book 2 in my Grazi Kelly series and am planning to release it in August 2014. After that I have already outlined book 3 Rebel Moon and am most likely to release that in spring 2015.
Q: Thank you so much for the interview, C.D. Gorri. Would you like to tell my readers where they can find you on the web and where everyone can buy your book?
Anytime! Thank you so very much, Amanda. Hey readers! You can connect with me on Facebook, Twitter @cgor22, tumblr, Google +, Linkedin and on my website at http://cdgorri.com .
You can purchase Wolf Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel by C.D. Gorri at any of the following:
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/413432
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IS0WW5A
Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wolf-moon-c-d-gorri/1118861215?ean=2940149219254
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/wolf-moon-a-grazi-kelly-novel/id830989002?mt=11
Kobo http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/wolf-moon-a-grazi-kelly-novel
Google Play http://play.google.com/store/books/details/C_D_Gorri_Wolf_Moon_A_Grazi_Kelly_Novel?id=iKszAwAAQBAJ
Thank you and Happy Reading!
-C.D. Gorri
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