Meet Mary Ann Poll, author of Ravens Cove

Today you are getting the chance to get to know more about author Mary Ann Poll and her latest book Ravens Cove. Plus there’s an excerpt and a great giveaway! Be sure to leave her comments and questions as you follow the tour.

   

To which character did you relate the most?

It is a toss-up between Kat, the protagonist, and Grandma Bricken. I relate to Kat because she is feisty, independent, fiercely loyal, funny and full of life. Grandma Bricken because she is an older version of Kat and is wise, grounded, and full of courage.  

What was one of your favorite scenes?

I have several. For this interview, here’s a rare light moment in the book:

 Ken caught up with Kat as she turned onto the street behind Grandma’s house.
 “May I walk you?”
 “Not you, too, FBI. I can take care of myself, you know.”
 Kat picked up her pace, an outward expression of her need to get away from the confusion he stirred up every time she looked at him.
 Ken quickened to come alongside her, which put him on a direct collision with a bike rider. The speed-demon steered his bike to avoid Kat but didn’t have time to do the same for Ken.
 Ken, concentrating on matching his pace to Kat’s, was unaware of the impending accident.
 “On your left,” the bicyclist shouted.
 Ken glanced up, shot sideways, tripped over a small rock and landed on his backside.
 The bike rider whizzed by and became a speck on the horizon in moments.
 Kat laughed so hard, tears came to her eyes. Once she could get her breath, she offered a hand.
 Ken took it, but instead of pulling himself up, he pulled her down.
 She landed square on his stomach.
 “Oomph. Sorry! Did not work out quite like I planned!” But her reaction was exactly what he hoped for. Those flashing green eyes were back.
 She made a fist and punched him square on the chest as she stood.
 “Ouch.” He rubbed the spot to take some of the sting out of it.
 “You’re strong, for a girl.”
 Kat gave a frustrated, “Huff,” and took off. 

Will we see these characters again?

Yes, you will see these characters again. They are in the four-part series.

Tell us about your other published works.

To date, I have four books published. Five, if you count this second edition of Ravens Cove. This second edition took about as long to edit as it takes me when I write a new book. It is enhanced and better, then the first edition.  There are new scenes and characters. The second edition and the other books comprise the Iconoclast Thriller series: Ingress, Gorgon, and Dullahan. I loved writing each and everyone of them.

On what are you currently working? A new supernatural thriller set in an abandoned amusement park with some new characters and a new nemesis.

What does your upcoming release schedule look like?

I am hoping to write, edit and finish the new book and have it released between October and November.

What is your favorite part about writing?

There are rare times the writing takes over and everything clicks. I love this part of writing. In fact, it is what keeps we writing. The energy and flow are great.

What is your least favorite part about writing?

It never fails that around 10,000 words into a book, I hit a writer’s block. It used to be frightening. I’ve learned, however, to sit at the computer and write the next idea for the scene that comes to mind. Usually, this idea seems odd and out of place. Yet, later in the book, it makes perfect sense and enhances the story.

When not writing, what can we find you doing?

Swimming, gardening, playing PC games, and enjoying our fur babes – two cats and two dogs.

What is something readers may be surprised to learn about you?

I write supernatural (and pretty creepy) stories for a living. When I’m watching a show in my genre, or reading a book in my genre, you can find me closing my eyes during certain scenes. I’m not ashamed to admit to being a wimp when I’m reading or watching something other than my own work.

Welcome to Ravens Cove, Alaska, a tiny town nestled in a small hollow on the majestic Cook Inlet. A town familiar with storytelling—after all, Alaska abounds in rich legends. In Ravens Cove, though, legends have a tendency to come to life.

Meet Josiah Williams, the peculiar stranger whose warning to lifetime residents Kat Tovslosky and her cousin, Sheriff Bart Andersen, raises more questions than answers; a man whose dark past and knowledge of the murders make him a suspect more than an ally. Join Kat and Bart as an unlikely troop forms (including a very unwelcome FBI agent) to discover the identity of a killer. The unearthing of which will throw the reluctant warriors into a battle for their very lives and the lives of all who call Ravens Cove home.

Read an excerpt:

“This is Agent Melbourne again. If you hang up, I will call back as many times as it takes. This is urgent. Tell your boss to pick up the phone, and do it now!”

Kat-fight mode sounded the first bell in the back of her brain. She knew her orders, and she would enforce them.

“With all due respect, Agent, no.” She dropped the phone into the cradle.

Ten minutes and several Melbourne calls later, Kat stomped to Bart’s office, angry at being ordered by the know-it-all FBI agent to get her “boss.”

Bart looked up to blazing eyes and a flushed face. He leaned back in his chair, linking his hands behind his head, and hoping his body language would diffuse the onslaught of emotion. It didn’t.

“There is an Agent Melbourne who keeps calling. He insists on talking to you.”

“Told you my policy on nosy outsiders.”

Being reprimanded brought the stew of frustration, weariness and hunger to a boil.

“Yes,” her voice rose, “yes you have. And, I told him, too. And I hung up. And he called back again, and again, and again. I hung up again, and again and AGAIN. He is now ordering me, under threat of interfering with FBI business, to put my ‘boss’ on the phone. He is on hold.”

Bart knew Kat. No matter who paid her, she did not have a “boss.” She had been, and always would be, a freethinker and free spirit. He could not control the grin creeping across his mouth.

Available on Amazon

I’m Mary Ann Poll, America’s Lady of Supernatural Thrillers and charter member of Author Masterminds. The first question most people ask is, “What is an Iconoclast?” Iconoclast means, “The destroyer of religious beliefs or symbols.” I took this definition and applied it to the supernatural realm, which is how the Iconoclast Thriller series was born. My books revolve around the battle between good and evil. They also revolve around the heroic acts of ordinary people who must face extraordinary, even unbelievable, circumstances. I draw from real-life experiences, as well as my imagination, to create these supernatural thrillers. My love for a creepy, goosebump-creating ghost story and my love for Christ come together in these books. I am a proud pet lover, which is also reflected in my writing. In my off time, I enjoy gardening, swimming and spending time with beloved family. I pray you enjoy reading Ravens Cove as much as I enjoyed writing it. Blessings in Christ!

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4465445.Mary_Ann_Poll http://maryannpoll.com/ https://www.facebook.com/maryann.poll https://www.facebook.com/ravenscoveiconoclast/ https://twitter.com/MaryAnnPoll

Mary Ann Poll will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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