Since time immemorial people have gathered around the fire to tell stories and wondered what else might be lurking close by in the shadows. I recently caught up with Clarissa Johal, author of Paranormal, Gothic Horror & Fantasy books and stories. She knows a thing or two about those shadowy realms - and their inhabitants...
Q1.
Congratulations, Clarissa, on the publication of your latest novel, The Island, through Booktrope, Forsaken
Imprint. What was your journey to publication with this one?
The Island is my fifth book, but I’ve
had three short stories, a play, and numerous magazine articles published. To
date, I’ve worked with five different publishers. They’ve run the gamut from smaller
houses (Musa Publishing), to larger ones (Permuted Press). My latest
(Booktrope) is a hybrid publisher. Hybrids are a new concept in the world of
publishing, but I think authors will see more of them pop up in the future. Publishing
is a journey. As an author, I look at each book, the requirements to make it
successful, and my own time-frame. Then, I choose which publishing model works
best for me, and run with it.
Q2.
Have you always been drawn to the paranormal on the page or off it?
I've
had experiences, and consider the paranormal a part of the world we live in. I
never considered writing in the genre until about five years ago. While working
on a fantasy trilogy, I was hit with the characters of Cronan and Lucas, my
Death Spirit and Guardian from Between.
I would wake with their back-stories in my head, I’d get flashes of their homeland
and people they knew—it was weird. They wouldn’t leave me alone, and they
certainly didn’t belong in my fantasy trilogy! Finally, I set the trilogy aside,
and started writing Between. I joke
that I was pulled into the Otherworld with that book. I’ve been writing
paranormal and gothic horror ever since.
Q3.
Is there a paranormal experience of your own you'd like to share?
I’ve
had quite a few. One, in particular, happened last October. My husband and I
were watching television one evening. Suddenly, there was this pop of light right
in the middle of the living room, about five feet from the ground, followed by
the scent of an electrical charge. We both saw and smelled it. My husband
decided to go to bed, but I stayed up. As I continued to watch television alone,
the living room began to feel crowded. I kept catching movement in the
peripheral of my vision, but when I’d look, there was nothing there. Needless
to say, I didn’t sleep well that night. I’ve written about several other
experiences in my blog, and even to me, they sound odd. But after years of the
unexplained, I’ve come to the conclusion, “it is what it is.”
Q4.
What was the inspiration for The Island?
You
get the exclusive on that, because I don’t think I’ve told anyone! When I was
twelve, my parents sent me to camp for the summer. The camp was located on a
small island off the mainland, and kept solely for campers only. In addition to
standard camp activities, the kids were allowed to explore on their own as long
as they stayed together in groups of three. Unfortunately, because I was a new
kid, my group of three was just me. When the camp counselors asked if we had
found our groups, I kept my mouth shut. Free time came, and off I went to
explore on my own. There were designated paths on the island which campers were
supposed stick to. But you know how
that goes—kids do what they do. Most of the kids headed towards the beach, but
I decided to forge my own path into the woods. While waist-high in foliage, I literally
fell into a small cave. The cave was empty…but not empty. Have you ever had
that feeling? It felt like whatever resided inside, suddenly fixated on me. The
hairs on the back of my neck stood, I felt icy cold, and the prick of tears was
close, though I didn’t know why. It almost felt like I had stumbled into
someplace sacred. I managed to climb out, and literally made myself walk away
calmly. Quite honestly, it felt like I was being watched at that point. That
night, I tossed and turned, unsettled. The feeling persisted into the next day,
so I returned to the area—wanting to make peace with it. But try as I might,
and no matter how many times I combed that area, the cave was nowhere to be
found. That cave (and the feeling associated with it) stuck with me, and so The Island was born.
Q5.
What authors have inspired you?
Paranormal,
horror and fantasy authors who combine complex mythological concepts into their
story-telling are at the top of my list. BROM, Charles de Lint, and Robert
Holdstock are all inspiring in that regard. I grew up reading the classics,
which I think gave me a good base as to what constitutes “good” literature. An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser,
and The Sorrows of Young Werther by
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, are two of my favorite books.
Q6.
It would be remiss of me if I didn't ask, "What's with the trapeze?"
Ha!
I’ve studied ballet for over twenty years. Last year, I decided to take trapeze
classes offered by Cirque de Vol, and fell in love with it. When I hear music, I choreograph trapeze routines in
my head—that’s how obsessed I am! I’ve even had a trapeze installed in my
living room so I can practice. There’s something about the trapeze arts that strikes
a chord. When I’m on the trapeze, it feels right.
Does that sound bonkers? It probably is.
Q7.
Do you have a writing process?
My
idea usually begins as a flash of the location (usually in a dream, or when I’m
in the shower, oddly enough). That gives me a locale. The characters seep in
later (again, they’ll usually come to me completely formed in dreams, or in the
shower). Then, I’ll sit and write the story from beginning to end. At the risk
of sounding cuckoo, the characters tell me what to write, not vice versa. I do
my “details” research after the first draft is completed, and then work on my
edits.
Q8.
Where can we find out more about you and your books?
I’m everywhere….
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/clarissa.johal.9
Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/101586327494596967316
Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4502113.Clarissa_Johal
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/clarissajohal/
Q9.
What are you working on next?
My
readers were intrigued by one of the side-characters, Poppy, from Struck. They kept asking if I was going
to do a spin-off with her. Typically, I don’t do spin-offs or series books, but
decided to give it a go. Let’s just say, she had a story to tell! Poppy should be completed by December
2015, and published sometime in 2016. Take a peek at the blurb:
A
red-headed, pink-loving mortician who speaks to the dead.
A
socially awkward funeral director.
Poppy
and Dante from Struck are
back.
Something
is lingering around Skyview Funeral Home--and it's stealing souls of the
departed. With Dante in tow, Poppy is determined to put a stop to it. Will she
be able to protect those who are trying to cross over? Or will her soul be
next?
That
said, you can keep up with my latest releases by following my Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Clarissa-Johal/e/B003KVTMPK/
