Talk about a roller coaster
ride! Blood Moon by Teri Harman kept
me on the edge of my seat and it took a great deal of effort to tear my eyes
away and attend to anything on my ‘to do’ list.
Of course I had to interview
her. But first, here’s a look what Blood
Moon is about.
A novel that completely reinvents the modern concept of witches
and has a real potential to make headlines.
A hand slowly reaches
out a crack in the window to feel the
light sprinkles of rain. The hand, cemented with dirt, sweat, and blood,
light sprinkles of rain. The hand, cemented with dirt, sweat, and blood,
trembles like a withered
leaf clinging to a dead branch. Although filthy,
the hand emits a history
of grace and elegance long lost to the evils of
torture and imprisonment
. . .
From what Willa recalls, seeing this pitiful hand, and,
eventually, the
person connected to it,
was the catalyst to the discovery of her true self.
Willa is a witch, and it
turns out her boyfriend, Simon, is a witch, too.
Soon after Willa first
sees the reaching hand, Simon and her embark on
a rescue mission, only
to find themselves catapulted into the alluring,
but dangerous world of
witches and witchcraft. Answers to all of Willa
and Simon's questions
are now within reach, but they've also stepped
into the middle of a
deadly war where many will stop at nothing to
control the magic of The
Six Gifts.
Willa and Simon must now learn to harness their powers to
protect
their lives and the
lives of their newfound friends before the blood moon
arrives,
or all will be lost.
AMM: Welcome
Teri! Have you always been intrigued by the idea of witches?
TH: Yes,
I have. From my youngest days I’ve been fascinated with all things magical,
fantastic and dark, witches and creatures who wield magic being my favorite. I
wore out the library’s book on tape of The Black Cauldron. When I watched The
Wizard of Oz, I was fascinated by the Wicked Witch of the West.
As I
got older I read books like The Witch of Blackbird Pond and The Witches. And to
this day, I can’t get enough of witch themed books, movies and TV. And, of
course, at Halloween my favorite costume is a witch and I throw an annual witch
themed party for the women in my family.
AMM: For years my daughter dressed up as a witch
on Halloween. When she gets older I’ll pass your book on to her. So, what
inspired you to write Blood Moon?
TH: Funny enough, it was the Halloween party I mentioned
above. The second year of the party, in 2010, I stumbled across a killer
location: a 100-year old school house in a small town near my home. Seriously,
so creepy and perfect for a Halloween party.
I wanted this party to be as epic as the location, so I
started researching all things witch, including reading about Wicca and Natural
Magic. It started as just a way to find game, activity and decor ideas, but
became much more. I was fascinated!
Well, the party was a HUGE success and we had so much fun
that night. Afterwards, my husband suggested I turn all that research into the
inspiration for a book. And I did!
AMM: I’m really glad you
listened to your husband!! Now here’s a tongue in cheek question. Do you
believe that ‘witches’ still exist today? And if you do, what do you think is
their purpose, if any?
TH: Well, that depends on how you define ‘witch.’ The
witches in Blood Moon have their
roots in the women in ancient times who were healers and midwives. The women
who understood how the human body interacts with the things of the earth. These
women were often labeled as witches and condemned for it because others didn’t
understand.
I think there have been and will always be people who have
unique gifts and are sensitive to things that others are not. My husband once
sat next to a woman on a plane who asked him if his wife was pregnant with a
third child (I was). The conversation that followed included several uncanny
insights into our lives.
Can these people light a fire in the palm of their hands?
No, but that is why we have fiction – to make real life more interesting.
AMM: I couldn’t agree more. Yet, if it were
possible, would you like to have powers like your characters? And if so, is
there any specific magical ability that appeals to you over the others?
TH: Heck, yes! Who wouldn’t want to control the elements and
move things around with magic? Every morning, when my kids get up too early and
are noisy, I wish I could slam my door shut without getting up. J
Willa, one of my main characters, has the Gift of Dreams.
She dreams of real events past, present and future. She also sees ghosts. I
based her gift on my own dreaming. I’ve always had very vivid dreams and am
fascinated by what our minds can come up with during the night hours. And how
amazing would it be to see and talk to the spirits of those that have passed on
before us. Think of the stories they could tell.
AMM: [shudder] I have to admit that the idea of
seeing spirits freaks me out a bit, but yes, their stories would definitely
make for good writing. What are you working on now?
TH: Book #2 of the Moonlight Trilogy, Black Moon. It’s been an interesting experience to write the second
book and I think the story has taken some incredible turns. I hope readers love
it as much as I do.
AMM: I can’t wait to read
it! And finally, what are some fun facts about you?
TH: I
make a wicked (witch pun intended) batch of homemade brownies. I’m also really
good at eating too many of them. I love to dance, do yoga, ride my bike and
browse antique shops. My favorite place in the world is a bookstore. I read a
LOT and own more books than is prudent for my small house. I have three crazy
children under the age of seven and my husband is the goofiest person I know.
TERI HARMAN has believed in all things
wondrous and haunting since
her childhood days of sitting in the
highest tree branches reading Roald
Dahl and running in the rain imagining
stories of danger and romance.
Currently, her bookshelf is overflowing,
her laundry unfolded, and her
three small children running mad while
she pens bewitching novels. She
also writes a bi-weekly book column for
ksl.com, Utah's #1 news site
and hosts a monthly television segment
for Studio 5, Utah's #1 lifestyle
show.
You can find Teri on-line and learn more about her
debut witch fantasy novel, Blood Moon
here:
Website: teriharman.com
Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorTeriHarman
Twitter: @TeriHarman
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