Monday, December 29, 2014

Guest Post: Sherry Soule

PARANORMAL MYTHOLOGY FUN FACTS
Guest post by author Sherry Soule



Today author, Sherry Soule has some exciting news to share with us! The next book in the epic Spellbound series, DESTINY DISRUPTED (Older YA paranormal romance) will be published in November 2014.
To help promote these thrilling serial novels, Sherry is doing this guest post to share the news with fellow booklovers.
She has put together four unknown facts about her popular YA series, Spellbound. In this fun post, you can learn more about the intriguing, supernatural mythology that makeup the eerie world of Fallen Oaks….

Fun Fact #1

Shadow People are usually vague human shapes, completely black or dark in color, with no discernible facial features. Sometimes they appear as mere silhouettes, generally lacking any characteristics of gender.
However, there are many types of shadow beings; there are hooded shadows, cloaked ones, solid or wispy, and even smoky shapes. They dart into corners, through walls, into closets, or behind bushes, and buildings. Sometimes they simply fade into the dark recesses of the night. Lacking in the description is one common denominator unifying the many different types of Shadow People that enter our world—they are all thought to be “intensely dark.” 
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines paranormal as an adjective meaning “not scientifically explainable.”
In the Spellbound books, Shadow People are ominous creatures that were once slaves of a band of fallen angels. When they rebelled, the Fallen hexed these creatures to spend eternity in a hell dimension. A few have found a way to slip through the gateway. The real worry is—what happens if they ALL escape?
So, do you believe in Shadow People?

Fun Fact #2

One of my inspirations for the über spooky town in my YA series was the video game, “Silent Hill.” Readers of the Spellbound series have often wondered if the town had a real-life counterpart, and if there was a particular town that inspired the haunted area, we’ve come to know and fear in the books…
Actually, there have been many speculations, and now here’s a place you can actually visit for REAL...
So, while researching the different elements of Fallen Oaks and looking for a foggy and woodland area, I came across Marin County in California. The popular SF Bay Area tourist spot planted the seed for what developed into what we’ve come to know as, Fallen Oaks. The coastal town is actually located in the Madrone Woodlands near Larkspur, California neighboring Muir Woods. (You need to use a Bing map to locate the region.) It was the ideal spot for the many different paranormals that populate this town…
Echoes of the tragic disappearances still plague the town. When the season passes and all the tourists leave, the haunting memory of past events once again shatter the peace of the inhabitants of Fallen Oaks...
Have you ever been to the coastal towns of Marin County?

Fun Fact #3
Werewolves and Lycans (shortened form of the word lycanthrope, which means shape-changer) are two completely different species. The terms are definitely NOT synonymous. The werewolf can only transform on a full moon, and they represent more of witchcraft and curse, unlike the lycan who can transform into a wolf at will. The lycan species are also considered shapeshifters, but can ONLY shift into wolves—not into other animals. Lycans are also capable of walking on their hindquarters, and are much more muscular than werewolves. Lycans and werewolves do share these qualities; they both have enhanced physical attributes, enhanced strength, reflexes, coordination, speed, and regenerative abilities. However, these traits seem to apply to lycans, even when in human form.
Furthermore, lycans can retain their human intelligence and personalities while transformed, whereas werewolves become pure animal, devoid of any memory regarding their actions once they shift. Silver is the lycans only weakness, as they seem to be violently allergic to it.
In MOONLIGHT MAYHEM, (third book in the series), the story hinges on a terrible secret guarded by some of the town’s residents as one-by-one teens are attacked by a mysterious creature.
Do you think it’s a lycan or a werewolf stalking the kids in Fallen Oaks?

Fun Fact #4


A Grimoire, or in some cases it’s called a Book of Shadows (BoS), is used to store magical information, like a textbook of magic spells, rituals, supernatural-related data, and invocations. Some grimoires can even be a sort of magical journal that keeps a record of a witch’s magical experiments and exploits.
Overall, a grimoire is used predominantly by Wiccans; however, this does not mean that those outside of Wicca can’t use a grimoire. Nor do you have to be in a coven, like the Blood Rose Circle or Generation Hex.
I used the grimoire concept in a different way in my YA series about a teenage witch, where the magical book is used more like that of a diary and contains prophecies, a demon index, and spells, which was written by her ancestors and passed down through the generations.
Do you have a grimoire or personal journal?


Places you can cyberstalk author, Sherry Soule:
Spellbound Series Universe: http://thespellboundseries.blogspot.com
Twitter @SherrySoule: http://twitter.com/SherrySoule

Thank you so much for letting me chat up my new YA series with all of you. It’s been an honor to share the eerie urban legends associated with the Spellbound series. If you haven’t seized your copy of my books yet, please do so. Thrilling and extraordinary adventures await you!

Hunting Demons is One Thing…Dating Them is Another.
Life sucks for Shiloh Trudell. And being a demon hunter who’s in love with a cocky half-demon makes things even suckier.
Especially when she discovers that Trent, her sinfully hot boyfriend, is hiding a few dangerous secrets. Like the fact that he’s losing his humanity.
To complicate matters, witches from the local coven are mysteriously turning up dead, and as Shiloh searches for answers, she confronts her worst nightmare…Trent is being blackmailed into becoming the next leader of the Underworld.
But Shiloh is still convinced that she can save him, even after the impossibly gorgeous, fallen angel Raze tells her that a relationship with Trent is forbidden now. Warned to stay away from the only boy she’s ever loved, she can’t ignore the sizzling attraction that ignites whenever they’re around one another. Especially after a swoon-inducing night of stolen passion.
As Shiloh’s world begins to unravel around her, it soon becomes obvious that her destiny lies in one of two choices: vanquish Trent or join him in the Underworld.
DESTINY DISRUPTED (book 5) ASIN: B00OJQHU5O
Pre-Order your copy today and get it delivered to your reading device on November 28th! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OJQHU5O