Showing posts with label The Damned. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Damned. Show all posts

Friday, October 4, 2013

Interview with Kristy Berridge

For those unaware, we are privileged to have one of the most talented Australian authors within our midst. Kristy Berridge is the author of such novels as "The Hunted," "The Damned" and most recently "Diary of a Teenage Zombie."  Possessing the ability to write original supernatural fiction novels is among her many talents.  My favourite thing about Kristy's work is that I know it will be nothing like I have read before.  To celebrate her recent book release of  "Diary of a Teenage Zombie," (of which I am totally in love with!) I have asked her to do an interview for my blog so that I can share her creations with the world.  My interview with the lovely Kristy Berridge, went a little something like this......

If you could work with any author who would it be? 
I have absolutely no idea. Writing is very much a solo act. So to collaborate with someone might actually annoy me, but I’d love to pick Stephen King’ s brain, find out where all those kooky ideas come from.

Who is your favourite author and is your writing style similar to theirs? 

I love Richelle Mead, and though I’d love to say I was as talented with the written word as she, I think we all have our positives and negatives.

What do you think people search for in a book?

Total immersion—a chance to escape reality for just a little while.

Did you always want to write?
I’ve always had an interest in writing, but no. I’m actually a fully trained Interior Designer, so creativity does run through my veins.
Do you have any advice for other writers? 
Read as much as you can, never think you are so good that advice is unwarranted, and always make sure you have a fabulous editor. If they’re good, they’ll tell you when you’re not, but also offer the best advice on how to fix it.

When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing about seven years ago now, and truthfully it was to abate boredom. I’d always had an interest, an idea bloomed, and since I was sitting in front of a computer at the time, boom, the magic happened and I couldn’t seem to stop.

Which is your favourite of the books you have written?

Tricky, tricky. I love The Damned in the Hunted series because the story finally grabs its momentum, but I’m especially proud of Diary of a Teenage Zombie. I feel good about the humour, the plot and characters.

What do you think makes a good story?

Good ideas, good editing and trust in the reader’s ability to interpret your vision without constant repetition.

What about the horror genre interests you?

Are you kidding? Everything.

Do you remember the first horror book that you ever read?

RL Stine’s ‘Goosebumps’ series. I absolutely adored these as a kid, but quickly moved onto the likes of Dean Koontz and Stephen King before long.

How do you react to a bad review of one of your books?

You have to take it in your stride. Not everyone is going to appreciate your efforts and that’s okay. I always contact the person in question, thank them for taking the time to read and review the novel and wish them the best of luck. It’s worked well for me so far, and I often receive some feedback that helps me to reassess my own writing.

What book are you reading now?

I’m being lazy and not really reading anything at all at the moment.

How do you cope with writers block?
I’ve never suffered from writer’s block because I always jot down ideas when they come to me, so there’s something to work with in dryer moments of incoming inspiration.

If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?

Kristy Berridge?
My life is an ongoing novel, so the question mark pretty much covers every new day and the unknowns I’ll undoubtedly face. It’s exciting though.
I suspect I’d come up with a much better name given the time and the desire to do so J

Who is your favourite character(s) in any of your works? And why?

I love Lucas Manory. He was written as a supporting role to Elena in my Hunted series, but is fast developing his own agenda and blossoming personality. He’s very likeable on so many levels.

How do you feel while you're writing? 

At peace, though I feel as if all I do is edit lately grrrr.

What was the hardest part of writing for you?
Marketing and promotion. Honestly, I’m rubbish at it. I want the books to sell themselves and that’s not exactly realistic, or so people keep telling me LOL!

How do you keep your plots unpredictable without sacrificing believability?

Why thank you, and I’m not entirely sure how to answer that. All I can say is that I really put myself in the character’s shoes and think about who they are, what they think, feel or do in any given situation. If it seems ridiculous, then it probably is.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?



Look out for these best sellers at a store near you!

THE DAMNED—Book Description 

Life for Elena Manory skipped past ordinary just over a month ago. Discovering she was born a practically invulnerable vampire-werewolf hybrid was shocking enough; but she’s also become a target, hunted by an Alpha werewolf known as Roshan, who’s fixated on the properties of her unique blood and the pleasurable possibilities of her flesh. Moving to the Institute of Magical Intervention in Romania was supposed to provide her with protection and anonymity, but Elena soon realises her enemies are legion. No one is who they seem, no agenda truly without nefarious intentions. A strange twist of fate and the actions of a vampire previously pressing for her affections lead Elena into the arms of another—one whose middle name spells trouble. Himself a vampire, Sebastian is handsome, arrogant, and perplexingly familiar. He introduces Elena to a world she never thought possible, uncovers a past believed buried, and unearths a future she may not survive.


DIARY OF A TEENAGE ZOMBIE—Book Description

Dear Diary. Today I ate the mailman. My bad. 

Being seventeen is hard – Katie Palmer has to deal with school, pimples, hormonal boys, and malicious cheerleaders.
After the Zombie Apocalypse, though, she no longer sweats the usual teenage drama. 
Athletics star by day and flesh-eater by night, Katie’s done well to hide her transformation from friends and Zone-sanctioned security, but now someone or something’s onto her secret and if she doesn’t feed soon she’ll start falling apart. 
Dead bodies are piling up and all the evidence points to Katie’s blood-stained hands. Will she end up killing the competition before security discovers she’s rotten underneath?


Thursday, May 3, 2012

In My Books - The Hunted by Kristy Berridge

In my books – (pun intended ha-ha) the only author more impressive then Nicholas Sparks, is “The Hunted’”s creator Kristy Berridge.  She has a gifted way with words that are equally relatable and effortlessly imagined.  With the exception of The Twilight Series, the supernatural fiction genre is not generally my cup of tea, so I was genuinely surprised by how much I cherished every minute of this 572 paged novel.  There is nothing you won't find among these pages. It has something for everyone to enjoy.  There is magic, vampires, werewolves, kick butt action, witty humor and above all romance.  Better yet, it is not your typical supernatural fiction and is nothing at all like anything you have already read or seen.  Berridge makes the effort and takes the time to establish the characters and their back stories in the chapters of book one in a series of five. Berridge also manages to bring new life to the fictional world of vampires and werewolves inventing new rules within the genre. This makes it unpredictable and builds curiosity the further in you get, making it difficult to put down.  

ABOUT THE BOOK
Elena Manory is by no means an ordinary teenage girl. Being born with the ability to heal herself from any injury, and with the knowledge that on her eighteenth birthday she will become a vampire, Elena is aware that she is more than a little different from other girls her age. It isn’t until she meets William Granville, an alluring and impossibly handsome vampire, that she begins to question her destiny and what secrets the Institute of Magical Intervention and her adopted family have withheld—secrets that could change the fates of not only her own life, but of the lives of all the immortals. As events spiral out of control, William may be the only person Elena can place her trust in. He, and Elena’s magical family, must fight to save her, joining forces to defeat a common, deadly foe. For William, it is his chance to save the girl that he has searched eternity to find.
The heroine in this highly-imaginative Aussie-based tale is a vampire—but she is something more. This is a fast-paced, intelligent and highly-entertaining novel … The final chapters are climatic, desperate, chilling. For a first novel, Berridge ticks all the boxes. She has the makings of a career author. To attempt what is now a well-worn theme and produce something fresh, vital and entertaining is the mark of an enterprising and crafted writer. —Wendy O’Hanlon, Acres Australia
This is a debut novel from a bright and bubbly young author. It is entertaining, quirky and has some wry touches of humour … an adventurous lightly romantic read that will appeal to teenagers and other devotees of the vampire horror genre. — John Morrow’s Pick of the Week
Furthermore, take a look at the original book trailer here.  

I am no expert book reviewer so I will keep this short, but here are my reasons “The Hunted” should be on everyone’s must read list.  Every teenager has a little bit of the main character Elena within him/her; even if it’s merely similar mocking thoughts expressed or even unspoken.  Her sarcasm and witty temperament alone makes for a good read.  The most appealing element to this novel for me would have to be the relationship between Elena and William.  The feelings between these characters are intense to say the least and Berridge realistically explores a connection between these two paranormal beings.  My romanticism aside, “The Hunted” follows a well written heroine in her effort to contend with typical teenage hormones all the while having the extra baggage of being born of the supernatural world. The climactic ending to the first book in the series leaves you anticipating what comes next in Elena's world.  It is hands down the best book I read last year.  If i had read it this year then I am quite confident it would have taken that trophy instead...   

The Hunted” is already available on Amazon in paperback and kindle form.  As you may already know you can become a fan of this spectacularly written book on Facebook.  For all those existing fans, you may benefit to know that you do not have to wait till the release of book number two “The Damned” (expected in July 2012) to read the humorous words of Kristy Berridge.  Kristy has her own worldly popular Blogger page with over 18,000 views to date. WARNING: It is an addiction waiting to happen!  For this reason, I would hate to keep it a secret.  Nothing wrong with a healthy addiction of LAUGHTER!  Follow this link to start your obsession today!  Book number two “The Damned” is so close to release you can almost touch it.  But for the time being there's also the book trailer here to keep us on our toes.  


So why don't you join me in reading (well re-reading in my case) before "The Damned"'s pages are acting out in your imagination.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Perth, Western Australia in 1982, Kristy Berridge was ushered into the world in a decade of bad hair, parachute pants, and blue eye shadow. Fortunately, she managed to avoid all three influences by immersing herself in the business of growing up, and hitched a ride with her fun-loving, and adventure-filled parents to the sunny state of Queensland. Here she completed most of her education. Besides learning that boys don’t have cooties, and that algebra wouldn’t kill her, she pointedly set the path of her high school career towards success in Art and English-based subjects, and won numerous awards for her efforts. After high school she went on to study Graphic Design and Illustration at James Cook University, and then furthered her studies at the local TAFE college with an Interior Design course. With this knowledge under her belt, she also decided to undertake a three year Design course at Rhodec International in London, to complete her education and propel her towards the successful career she now enjoys.  She currently resides in Cairns with her husband Navaro, who is her biggest support and a constant source of motivation to finish the next novel.