Indie Summer Blog Event 2013: Witch Hearts by Liz Long

Book Addicts,

We have the honor to be part of the Indie Summer Blog Event 2013 hosted by PJBlogTours. And for this event, we will have in our site Liz Long, author of Witch Hearts.

Witch Hearts
Liz Long
Publisher: Createspace
Release Date: April 11th, 2013
Age Range: Adult
Genre: Paranormal, horror, mystery

How does a witch stay safe if a killer can get through her protection spells? 

Witches like Ruby and Courtney can take care of themselves. So when Courtney is murdered, Ruby’s world crashes to a halt. The only thing keeping her grounded is the return of Courtney’s brother, Cooper. He seeks revenge, but Ruby wants to help other witches stay alive. To do that, she’ll have to reunite with her old coven’s High Priest, who also happens to be her cheating ex-boyfriend. 

If that wasn’t awkward enough, when the killer gets too close, Cooper temporarily moves into Ruby’s place while a police officer tails her every move. Cooper’s presence distracts Ruby as they fight their desire against their need to stay safe. Then Courtney begins to haunt Ruby’s dreams and secrets are spilled, things from Cooper’s past that could get them both killed. The killer continues to stalk Ruby and the more she discovers, the more she fears she won’t be able to keep her heart in her chest.

Liz Long

She graduated from Longwood University with a BA in English, though her professors might be disappointed to hear she reads more fantasy fiction than literary novels. She also loves action and thriller genres. Her books probably won't change your life, but she hopes they steal you away from reality for a while. Her first book, Gifted, A Donovan Circus Novel, is about a murder at a supernatural circus, and is also available on Amazon.

I don’t think you guys understand how hard this question is! I love so many books, but my go to answer is always Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – it’s where we truly feel a loss, start liking the opposite sex, and realize we must step up to our full potential in order to save your loved ones. I know people complain about Harry being disgruntled, but I can’t exactly fault him on that one!

Any time I’ve finished editing the final draft!

You’re really making this hard! I watch more TV than I should and have favorites in different genres because I like so many different things. I’m totally obsessed with BBC’s “Sherlock” series (and for more than just Benedict’s cheekbones, though they don’t hurt), but I also go out of my way on Friday nights to watch reruns of FRIENDS. :)

Probably The Avengers, but once again, there are different favorites for different genres – though I’m definitely an action-adventure type of girl.

A rainy Saturday where I don’t have to leave the house. I can stay in pajamas, have breakfast with my husband, cuddle my dog, and write for a few hours. Then watch one of those favorite movies in the evening after a giant bowl of vegetable soup. So simple, I know, but I’m a hermit at heart. 

I’m one of those people that listens to a catchy song on repeat until I hate it, but I have to say I can listen to any song by the Foo Fighters at any time and still adore them. (A cheat answer, I know, but it’s true!)

I could eat pizza almost everyday and not get tired of it, provided I can switch the toppings up.

Honestly, Cooper, my leading man from WITCH HEARTS, is pretty high up there on ideal boys. You can read my interview below to learn more :)

Magic for sure! I love mythology but with magic, it truly does seem like anything is possible.

Fantasy :) (to read and write!)

“Stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.”

Thank you SO much for reading and I hope if you give my books a chance, that they let you escape reality for a while with me!! 

Hi Liz, so glad to have you in our blog for the Indie Summer Promo. How did you come up with this “witchy” story? Was it difficult to write it?

Surprisingly, WITCH HEARTS was easier to write than my first book, GIFTED. I think since WITCH HEARTS was based in a fictional city (instead of a fictional circus where I had to build an entire world with hundreds of characters) and I only had witches, ghosts, and murderers to deal with, it was a smoother ride with less explanation. I originally wanted WITCH HEARTS to be sort of light and fun, but after I rewrote the very first chapter and got a main character killed right off, it changed everything. Once I got into a darker sort of story similar to episodes of “Criminal Minds” , it all sort of flowed together.

Could you describe Ruby?

Sure! She’s a 28-year-old bookseller, a brunette with blue eyes and a firecracker personality. She’s finally learning how to grow up and be on her own after her ex cheated on her and that means as the story progresses, she’s figuring out how to stand up for herself and help her loved ones. She’s also got a special witchy talent that makes the killer totally obsessed with her.

And could you describe Cooper? Can you tell us something about Cooper that we don’t know?

Well, he’s undeniably gorgeous – think Dean Winchester from Supernatural, with cropped blond hair, green eyes, and a constant 5 o’clock shadow. Cooper, as I said in my Q&A, is probably my perfect fictional boy. He’s got a bit of a bad boy history due to stupidity in the past (like all of us), but he’s trying to redeem himself even before his sister was killed. He is protective of Ruby, but smart enough to know she’s her own person and doesn’t try to demand things of her. He’s sensitive enough to admit his feelings, yet doesn’t push for answers or put his own emotions on someone else – he accepts his responsibilities and faults enough to do whatever he can to make up for them. 

Could you describe Witch Hearts to our readers? What is your favorite part from the book?

Sure! The perfect description I’ve heard from a reader is “Charmed meets Criminal Minds.” There’s magic and romance, but also darker undertones of murder and blood. 

I think one of my favorite scenes from the book is when Ruby is lured into a creepy house to get Courtney’s Book of Shadows back. She finds a lot more than she bargained for, but writing that creeptastic scene as she tiptoes through a dilapidated house, knowing the killer could jump out at her any minute, was enough to get my heart racing! It’s one of the first scenes I wrote when I changed the book’s tone and I’m so happy with how readers have reacted to it.

Imagine that we get the chance to see Witch Hearts on the big screen (*hope so!*). Who would you pick to represent your characters?

Holy eff. Um, okay…you know Meghan Ory from Once Upon a Time, who plays the chick named Ruby? That’d be my Ruby, too! (Long dark hair, blue eyes, sweet yet tough personality). Cooper would be played by Jensen Ackles obviously. And Michael looks like a young Michael Vartan, though my Michael is British so throw in an accent there. Lee Thompson Young would make a great Ben Marshall, while Amanda Seyfried is my ideal Courtney – blonde, fun, and still feisty even when she’s a ghost.

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