Beyond the Reach of Judgement
By: Jo Bissell
“Did we leave any sin out?” she replied with a forced weak laugh.
“No. Between the two of us, I think we have managed to cover them all.” he mumbled as that uncomfortable lump in his gut returned.
Julien Rene Durant was once a good man. Born in France, he took the oath as a Jesuit Priest in the 1600s. He dedicated his life to spreading the Gospel. Now, he was a monster surviving off the blood of others; killing for survival even as he wished for nothing other than for his own extinction. After almost four centuries of guilt and hopelessness, he encounters someone who might just be able to rescue the good man trapped within the monster, but will his judgements deny him a second chance?
Mary Ruth Jacobson-Ryan is nothing special; a small town girl stuck in a rut. Married to the local Iraqi War Hero who turned out not to be the perfect guy she fell in love with before the war, she is desperate for a way out. When things turn from bad to worse, she runs with plans to never look back. She quickly finds, however, that her search for a better future may lead her down a path with no future at all.
Purchase:
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/D-BSsXjx0v8
Author Q&A
What inspired you to write this novel, Beyond the Reach of Judgement?
To be honest. I read Twilight
several years ago and found myself in love with the concept., many of the
characters, and the genre, but overall disappointed in what I felt was a lack
of “steaminess,” a weak central female character who drove me insane, and some
questionable ideas about relationships and love. For years I thought about how
things would have been different had I had control of the story. Then I read
several more short stories, novellas, and novels with vampire/human
relationships and found myself engrossed with shows like True Blood and Vampire
Diaries. Finally, I decided I had to try it myself. Thanks for the 30K words I
wrote during NaNoWriMo 2012, I had a good start. It took some time, many
beta-readers, and a good editor do the appropriate research and to polish the
story, but finally I felt I had something worth sharing.
What are some challenges you faced while writing Beyond the Reach of
Judgement?
I find it difficult to step out of
the story and see it from a readers' perspective. Many of my beta-readers have
opened my eyes to just how much I tend to assume readers know when I haven't
yet told them. I also find it hard to capture some of the details I know about
my characters that make them real to me but aren't necessarily crucial to the
plot. Thankfully, the novel has come a long way since its first draft and the
characters have found ways to distinguish themselves with each new draft.
What do you do when you are not writing?
I spend the majority of my time
working as a full-time physician caring for hospitalized adult patients. I love
my job, but I find writing helps me unwind and explore emotions, problems, and
themes that I can't allow myself to explore or simply don't have time to
explore while at work.
When I have long breaks, I like to
travel. The places I've been often end up as settings for my writing. During my
travels, I spend time experimenting with photography and often do volunteer work. I enjoy
snowboarding, archery, and hiking as well as watching movies. I occasionally
post film reviews on my blog.
Do your experiences influence your writing?
Most definitely, but probably not
the way that many would think. I know I've been very fortunate in my life,
having an excellent family, an excellent support system of friends, and some
good luck. In my job, I see so many people that aren't so fortunate and often
wonder how things would be different if I faced such adversity and challenges.
Often, these thoughts become central themes in my writing and are my way
dealing with these questions.
Why do you write paranormal romance and urban fantasy?
Mostly I write these genres because
I enjoy reading them. I think they have exciting and unique characters and
allow just the right combination of escapism and guilty pleasure. I like the
way using unreal creatures and settings with ties to reality allows me to work
with complicated themes and ideas without having to weighed down the
“rules” of reality. I find that using non-human creatures actually accentuates
and highlights what it means to be human and magical elements are often
representation of real life problems but can be manipulated and viewed in ways
that the “real world” just does not allow. Plus, who doesn't enjoy fantasizing
a little?
What's next for you?
I am currently working on an Urban
Fantasy surrounding the mystery of The Black Angel grave marker in Iowa
City, IA, which I am very excited about. After that, I hope to write a sequel
and/or a spin-off of Beyond the Reach of Judgement. I also have outlines for a
mermaid adventure/romance and a gargoyle paranormal romance I have yet to start
writing.
AUTHOR BIO:Beyond the Reach of Judgement is Jo Bissell’s first original novel which evolved out of a 2012 National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) project. She also has a short speculative fiction piece, His Eyes, available for Kindle. Future planned novels include a sequel to Beyond the Reach of Judgement, other works of urban fantasy and paranormal romances, and a science fiction novel. She continues to participate in NaNoWriMo.
Links:
Hello - love your blog. Thank you so much for the support. Thanks, ~Jo
ReplyDelete