Author Kelly Moran Interview and Amazon Gift Card Contest

BBB: Describe yourself with five adjectives.

KM: Organized. Stubborn. Crazy. Determined. Considerate.

BBB: What real-life science, pseudo-science, history, religion, or mythologies did you research for your book?

KM: This series, overall, required a lot of research. Each book in the Phantoms trilogy focused on a different type of haunting. For book 3 in particular, it centered around “dark” spirits. I researched Christian religion, paranormal research equipment, the region, Native American history, and watched relative TV programs such as Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, etc. Though, um…that last one was no hardship.

BBB: We all need a hero! Tell us about your protagonist(s)? Was there a real-life inspiration behind him or her?

KM: Ah, Cain! I was dying to write him! He is all alone in this world, being the sole survivor after his family was killed in a home invasion gone wrong when he was ten. As an adult, he joined the Phantoms crew to feel like a part of something. He’s alpha all the way, but has a laid back attitude. He’s very patient and takes care of those he loves. Now Sammy, the heroine, has a not so great history, too. Her mom was killed when Sammy was a teenager and the psychologist she was sent to for counseling attempted an unfathomable act. As a result, she doesn’t trust easily and her walls have walls. Despite their sad backgrounds, this was a fun enemies to lovers story with a lot of verbal foreplay. And, of course, ghosts!

BBB: What’s your funniest writing or author memory?

KM: Oh boy. I have a lot. I remember a few weeks ago, one of my sons caught me arguing out loud with a character over a plot point. I wear my crazy hat always.

BBB: Please tell us more about Ghost of You and the storyline that drives it.

KM: As I said above, all the Phantoms books kind of center around a different type of haunting. Book one (Ghost of a Promise) was a traditional haunting, Book two (Give Up the Ghost) had a doppelganger, and Book three (Ghost of You) has dark entities. Though part of a series, each book can be a stand alone. Ghost of You takes the Phantoms team to Sammy’s hometown in Nebraska to a rural farming community where a desecrated church and a scarred shell of a school are harboring evil. The history of the location is quite tragic, and the crew doesn’t really know what to make of it. It’s also very personal and forces Sammy and Cain in closer quarters, thus moving them slowly from hate to love.

BBB: How many more books will there be in the Phantoms series?

KM: The series was intended to be a trilogy, so Ghost of You will be the last book. Though, you never know.

BBB: What sets the Phantoms series apart from other books in the same genre?

KM: I think ghosts in particular are always an interesting draw. Perhaps it’s the unknown factor. Reality TV shows on the subject are quite popular and have a big following. Most other books in the sub-genre tend to focus on traditional hauntings with a private residence or tend to use a secret government agency as the investigative pull. Phantoms actually takes the television world into haunted locations, combining romance with supernatural. The Phantoms team also uses the best elements of their competitors and takes it a step further for explosive results.

BBB: What types of characters / creatures can readers expect in your world?

KM: I always like my characters raw and real, so you can expect that from them. They have flaws and a history and hopefully you’ll want to root for them. Throughout the series you can expect ghosts of all kinds, EVPs, dark energy, and spooky phenomenon.

BBB: While you were writing, did you ever feel as if you were one of the characters?

KM: Gosh, yes. Creeped myself out a little, too. I tend to inadvertently put a tiny bit of myself in each character. Um..not telling which for whom, though. LOL.

BBB: What was the hardest part of writing Ghost of You?

KM: Because of Sammy and Cain’s past, plus the animosity between them, there was a fine line between love and hate. It was difficult translating onto the page why they were the way they were, and then realistically morphing that into more. This book had the evil presence as well, and I didn’t want this to play out like every other demonic story or come off as cliche. It was a challenge, and it took a few rewrites, but I think the readers will get a unique, enjoyable read out of it. If not, feel free to lie to me. (wink)

BBB: If your characters were shrunk and dropped into a glass, how would you get them out?

KM: Bwa ha ha! Hm. How would they get themselves out? I can easily see Cain and Sammy running back and forth, shoving at the sides and using momentum to tip the glass over. They’d fight beforehand and kiss like mad afterwards.

BBB: What’s coming up for you for the rest of 2015 and into the new year?

KM: Besides the Phantoms series, I have a contemporary series releasing this year called Covington Cove (Return to Me 3/3/15, All of Me 9/1/15). I just finished writing an erotic romance (which my agent has now) and I’m working on a new contemporary series about 3 sexy veterinarians in a small Oregon town.

Buy a Kindle copy of Ghost of You from Amazon by clicking here. – ONLY $2.99!

Books in the Phantoms trilogy in the order they should be read:
Ghost of a Promise
Give Up the Ghost
Ghost of You

About Kelly Moran

Author Bio:

Kelly Moran is a Catherine Award-Winner, a Readers Choice Finalist, and earned one of the 10 Best Reads by USA TODAY’s HEA. She writes enchanting ever-afters. Kelly’s interests include: sappy movies, MLB, NFL, driving others insane, and sleeping when she can. She is a closet caffeine junkie and chocoholic, but don’t tell anyone. She resides in Wisconsin with her husband, three sons, and her black lab. Most of her family lives in the Carolinas, so she spends a lot of time there as well.

11 Quick Things About Kelly

Favorite Food? Chocolate
Favorite Color? Don’t have one
Favorite Movie or TV Show of all Time? Um.. Gr. Buffy or Once Upon A Time. (That was HARD!)
Favorite Drink? Coffee
Favorite Current Book? All of them
Favorite Season? Fall
Favorite Online Hangout? Facebook
Favorite Animal? Uh… Dog
Favorite Band or Musician? Don’t have one. (Big playlist!)
Mode of Travel? (Trains, Planes or Automobiles) Car
Favorite Vacation Destination? The Carolinas, though I want to see England and Ireland.

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