TWILIGHT THURSDAY WITH KELLY ABELL

“Writing is the gift of bringing Dreams to Life!” That’s a quote from Kelly Abell on her website and I just love it because I think those are the words that are felt in the heart of every author.

Kelly is the author of Sealed in Lies, Haunted Destiny, and Online Angel. There’s a ton of information on her website http://kellyabell.webs.com/ , but once you’ve finished surfing it, don’t forget to come back and read her exciting interview!

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GRACEN: Do you have a movie that you must watch every Christmas? What's your favorite Christmas movie? Do you have a favorite Christmas character or character type?

KELLY: There are two movies I really like to watch at Christmas time. One is One Magic Christmas with Mary Steenburgen. And the other is some form of A Christmas Carol. My favorite is the one with Patrick Stewart.

GRACEN: Do you have any Christmas traditions like decorating your house, having house parties, making cookies etc.?

KELLY: We always decorate our tree as a family and play Christmas Carols and have hot chocolate which is a little strange in Florida because it is always hot! :0)

GRACEN: If you do make Christmas Cookies, what kinds will you be making this year? What was your all-time most favorite Christmas Cookie that you ever made? Why? Care to share the recipe?

KELLY: I’m not much of a baker, sorry. I don’t make Christmas cookies and if I do they are the Pillsbury cut and bake kind. LOL

GRACEN: Even if you don’t put one up, do prefer real or artificial trees? Why? Have you ever made your own Christmas presents or decorations? If so, what were they? Were they successes or failures? Did you have fun while making them?

KELLY: This is a fun question. I love live trees but I’ve now gone the artificial route because they dry out so fast in Florida. One year I made all the Christmas ornaments for my tree. They were beaded counted cross stitch and turned out beautifully. I still have those and use them on our family tree.

GRACEN: What foods will be at your Christmas celebration this year? What is the most unusual food that you saw at a Christmas feast? Would you eat the fruitcake or use it as a doorstop?

KELLY: I absolutely HATE fruitcake! LOL My grandparents would send us one every year and it was definitely the door stop! Love Ya Grannie! One year my husband and I went to The Biltmore Mansion in Asheville, NC for Christmas and they had a Christmas feast with Pheasant and Quail, a Roast pig on the spit, Venison, and other types of wild game. It was very strange but delicious! I so enjoyed that trip with him. They have Christmas trees in every room. I LOVE Christmas trees!

GRACEN: Do you celebrate Christmas on the Eve or Day? Who, if anyone, in your family plays Santa Claus? Does he hand out the presents or do they just “magically” appear under the tree? How do you handle presents that just don’t fit under the tree?

KELLY: We celebrate by going to church for a candlelight service on Christmas Eve and then we open gifts on Christmas Day. No one plays Santa and one year we got my son a bike and I hid it in the neighbors garage!

GRACEN: If you could be any Christmas Character, who would it be and why?

KELLY: I would be the angel in the movie One Magic Christmas. That is the coolest movie ever. I watch that one over and over.

GRACEN: Other than money (because who doesn’t want more of that), what would your ultimate gift be?

KELLY: To be on the New York Times Best Seller List! LOL

GRACEN: If you could give any of your characters a Christmas gift, who would it be and what would you get them?

KELLY: Oh this is a fun question too! I think I would pick Jack from Sealed In Lies and I would give him a Wii so he could stay in shape! LOL

GRACEN: Now, let’s get to your writing. What genre do you write? What was the draw for you?

KELLY: I actually write in multiple genres. I primarily write Romance and Romantic Suspense and Thrillers. I’ve also written a Young Adult Paranormal. I love the paranormal genre because there are so many story possibilities. You can build them however you want. I love romance because there are just so many ways to build your characters and design your stories. I love to write characters that readers can fall in love with and feel good and bad about. I want people to read my characters and love them so much that they want to read them over and over.

GRACEN: If you could describe your writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? Please delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story.

KELLY: I think I would use the word Compelling. I want readers to be compelled to read my stories and then once they start I want them to be compelled to keep going until they are done. For a reader to say they couldn’t put my book down is the ultimate compliment to me.

GRACEN: With the current movement to encourage people to give books as gifts, what, in your opinion, makes your story unique? What makes it stand out among all the others?

KELLY: Sealed In Lies is a turning twisting tale of suspense. From the time you see Jack naked on the Terrace to the end where he is fighting for the life of his true love you just can’t beat the action and the spicy romance that sizzles between Jack and Caroline. Add in some guns, a terrorist, some really scary nightmares and you’ve got a tale that just won’t quit.

GRACEN: Do you prefer throwing snowballs or serving hot cocoa? Does that show through in your writing? If so, how?

KELLY: I prefer throwing snowballs and I think it does show in my writing. The action is what draws readers to my writing. Most of my books are plot driven with compelling characters. There are some real surprises too, like that snowball in the ear! LOL

GRACEN: Who decides what your characters do, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one stuffing the stocking?

KELLY: I think I share the spotlight with my muse. I am in control to a point and then the muse takes over sitting on my shoulder making well crafted suggestions and advising me to let the characters go where they will. I think this is the most fun of writing.

GRACEN: What character did you have the most fun creating and why?

KELLY: I really enjoyed creating Destiny Dove in Haunted Destiny. Destiny was so vulnerable and alone when you first meet her and the strength she is forced to gain because of her “gift” makes her gain a personal strength she didn’t know she possessed. She’s a beautiful girl in love with a boy she can’t have and is mistreated by the town rich girl who only she can save from a very evil spirit. She has heart and class!

GRACEN: If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why?

KELLY: Jack Weaver from Sealed In Lies! Cause he’s HOT!!!

GRACEN: Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

KELLY: The Emperor from Sealed In Lies because he is one really scary DUDE!!! A ruthless killer with no soul.

BLURB:

Jack Weaver can’t seem to escape a life of lies. First as a Seal, then as an undercover CIA operative working in the largest drug cartel in Columbia Jack’s entire existence is based on being someone other than who he truly is. While serving as Chief Security Officer to one of the most dangerous men on earth Jack uncovers a plot to assassinate the President-Elect on Inauguration Day. Suddenly things become infinitely worse when his ex-SEAL commander who is now a Deputy Director with the CIA shows up and blows his cover. Forced to kill him, Jack is now on the run not only for his life but he’s the only one who knows about the assassination attempt, other than a mysterious man who calls himself the Emperor and seems to be calling all the shots.

Moreover, Jack is being haunted by terrifying dreams from his past that seem to be connected to this entire conspiracy involving his old SEAL team. Desperate for answers Jack breaks into the home of Vice-President elect Warren Walters, another SEAL teammate, where he is discovered by Warren’s abused wife Caroline. He forces Caroline to go with him with the intentions of letting her go once he gets the information he needs. Overcoming her fear of Jack, Caroline refuses to leave, seeing this as an opportunity to escape her own life of lies. This starts a chain reaction of feelings neither of them is prepared for. The Emperor has seriously underestimated Jack’s determination to find answers and is losing control over all the puppets he has in play. As Jack and Caroline come closer and closer to the answers and each other, will they be able to save the President-elect’s life as well as their own, or will a blast from Jack’s past destroy them all?

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