(Blog Tour) Q&A with Rasheedah Prioleau Author of American Specter

Thank you, Rasheedah for taking your time to visit The Four Eyed Cat Reviews and for answering these questions! For the starters, Could you tell us a little bit about your novel, the American Specter?

Yes. American Specter is the story of an FBI Agent named Audra Wheeler who is on a mission to discover the source behind her sister’s paranormal attack. Her journey takes her from the big city of New York to a quaint little ghost town in Georgia where specters co-exist with the living.

I've got to admit that the world of Specters that you created was really creative and new. Could you tell us a bit how you decided to choose to write specters who live and even had a job instead of the usual scary ghosts?

Well, whenever I sit down to write I always ask myself, “What haven’t I seen?” Vampires and werewolves are everywhere and zombies are on the rise as well. So, I imagined holding hands with a supernatural character and it truly felt like holding hands with a ghost and I said to myself, “That’s hot!”

What inspires you to write about specters (ghosts)?

Of course I always put a little bit of romance to my writing and I thought about what type of opposite could be sexier than a vampire, werewolf, or zombie and ghosts seemed like an obvious choice again. I think it becomes reminiscent of when I was younger and waking from a dream about the perfect guy. Then the dream guy fade and become just like a memory ghost. At the same time, I’ve experienced waking dreams, which can be kind of scary. When the waking dream passes the memory can be quite haunting.

Most writers claimed that their main character is a mirror of themselves, for example showing the writer's personality through the character. Is Audra, your main heroine, is a pure fictional character or is she a mirror of yourself?

I think she mirrors the best of the strong women in my life. She has her faults but she isn’t afraid to find the truth no matter what. She doesn’t like specters but she puts herself in the very uncomfortable position of working with them and around them. By stepping out of her comfort zone she’s able to get to the truth and become an even better character.

What is your favorite scene you love to write the most?

That is tough because there are so many. I did love writing the prologue, when Gwyneth Miller, the small town librarian, goes to this taboo Specter store called the Daylight Candle shop to retrieve a very taboo item. Being from a small town it tickles me because when you go anywhere it’s always about can you get in and out without being seen by people who know you? The answer is usually no. So, to me it was very funny and daring of her to do that.

What is the hardest thing/ scene you need to write in this novel?

The hardest scene for me to write was Rene Stevens telling the life of Abigail Stevens to the FBI. As a sister I don’t ever want to have to do that.

Who is your favorite character in the novel?

There are so many but Magic holds a very special place in my heart. She’s a character on the fringes of everything. She’s funny, and fierce and sensitive. She’s an easy friend but if you cross her or those she loves watch out.

Last but not least, If you were inside a city full of Specters, what would like to do?

LOL!!! Oh, the possibilities are endless. First, I would like to meet Mackenzie Knox’s grandfather. Then I’d go by the library and hang out with the bookworm specter crowd.

Thanks Rasheedah! that's all for our Q & A. And to you guys, feel free to check out the blurb and author profile below! and click here to read my review of American Specter.

AMERICAN SPECTER
Available in February 4th 2014

FBI Agent Audra Wheeler has been haunted for the last thirteen years by a paranormal attack that left her sister, Kendra, in a coma. Mentored by FBI Assistant Director Jonathan Cordero to investigate crimes committed by specters, Audra believes she is on the trail of a ‘serial killer’ specter with a MO very similar to her sister’s attacker. The investigation takes her to a small town of Specter, Georgia; a haven for ghosts who exist among the living.

About the author

Rasheedah Prioleau is a Southern African American writer with an eclectic range of writing and ghostwriting credits. After an unfulfilling stent in the corporate world she started over from the bottom as an unpaid intern at the age of twenty-six and never looked back.

"I love to write because there are no limits. All it takes is a finite space of time and I can create a story from infinite possibilities.”

Writers who have influenced her include: Judy Bloom, Jude Deveraux, V.C. Andrews, Octavia Butler, Stephanie Meyer, Charlaine Harris, Joss Whedon, William Nicholson, Shonda Rhimes, Quentin Tarantino, Tyler Perry, Mike Kelley, and J.J. Abrams... just to name a few.

Goodreads / Website

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