Hello my horror lovelies. Today we’re hearing from horror author Fiona Dodwell, who’s actually visited with us before with her post “A novella born from an obsession for ghost stories.”

This visit is part of her blog tour chatting about her experience writing The Shift.

Which I’m super excited to connect you folks the give-away she’s running for free copies of her new book:

Tour giveaway

2 E-copies of The Shift

To enter post a comment on twitter tagging @angel_devil982 or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fionadodwellauthor

“Fiona please enter me in your Giveaway to win an ecopy of The Shift #bewitchingbooktours ”

 

On to the discussion!

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When Horror Becomes a Reality: Breathing Life to Characters

I have been writing horror and paranormal stories for several years now – back in 2011 I released my debut novel, The Banishing, and I’ve been writing and releasing material since then.

When I wrote The Shift, I knew it was going to be a challenge.

For not only is this story a horror story, it is also a very dark psychological exploration into the human psyche. I enjoyed writing it for this very reason, but it was also something that stretched and pulled me as a writer.

It is one thing to imagine a story, a world and a plot, but I became very intertwined and involved with one single character during construction of this novel and this was a new experience for me.

I lived, breathed and experienced Michael White (my leading character in The Shift) very deeply, and I think this reflects in the story itself. His life, his thoughts and his actions became so very real to me, that it wasn’t long before I cared deeply about him.

The Shift is a story of survival. Yes it is a horror story, a ghost story, a grisly story, but it is also about one man’s journey to survive the dark experiences that life throws his way.

His bad luck, bad decisions and bad attitude eventually transform when he realises that everything he holds dear is at stake. It is this very transformation of character that I found incredible to document in the story.

I enjoyed seeing Michael White grow, learn and fight his way to survive the most terrible things. This is one beautiful aspect of writing: being surprised at the changes and evolution of your own characters. They really do take on a life of their own.

 

If you enjoy dark, psychological horror, I hope that there is something in Michael White’s journey that speaks to you, that pulls you in.

The Shift is full of darkness, full of shadows in the night and figures that shouldn’t be there, a world where everything always appears slightly off-centre and never feels quite right. Yet in the centre of that darkness? Hope. Every story has hope.

If you read and enjoy it, I’d love to hear from you.

Connect with Fiona:

Twitter ∇ Facebook Author Page   

The Shift

By Fiona Dodwell

Genre: Horror/Psychological

Book Description:

Michael White is a man desperate to escape his past. After tragedy costs him his job and marriage, he finds himself abandoned in a world of depression, loneliness and unemployment – until a new start working at a luxurious care home is offered.

But Hill Wood House isn’t like any other care home. What are the shadowy figures that follow Michael? What do they want? And beyond the paranormal, who is stalking Michael? Who is entering his home at night and leaving disturbing messages across his walls?

Can anyone ever really escape their past? Michael is about to go on a dark journey to uncover the truth behind what is haunting him – a truth that will wreak death and destruction to those Michael cares about.

Snag a copy of your very own:

Amazon ∇ Barnes and Noble ∇ Kobo

About the Fiona:

Fiona grew up in Buckinghamshire in the UK. She has had a passion for the written word since she was a child, and found herself a regular visitor of local book stores and libraries from a young age. Growing up, Fiona became a big fan of the supernatural and horror genre – in both film and literature. She devoured Susan Hill, Dean Koontz and Stephen King novels with relish, and soon realized she wanted to create dark fictional worlds of her own.

Fiona has studied a variety of subjects in recent years, from Theology and Psychology, to Film Studies and Drama. Her passion for writing, though, is what she focuses on now. In 2011, she released her debut horror novel, The Banishing, and then went on to publish Obsessed and The Shift. These novels were published with Double Dragon Publishing and Damnation Books.

Fiona also enjoys writing articles and has written for Paranormal Underground Magazine, Pinched Literary Magazine, Supernatural Magazine and also runs her own website, which contains various selections of her articles, interviews and reviews.

In September of 2015, Fiona signed a contract with Media Bitch Literary Agency where she is now represented. She has recently finished several short stories and is working on her new novel, The Risen, which she hopes to release in 2016.

Fiona currently lives with her husband, Matthew, and her unruly ginger cat, Oscar.

 

My number one fan. #AmWriting #AmEditing #Books pic.twitter.com/U6EeTcXJ0S

— Fiona Dodwell Author (@Angel_Devil982) December 14, 2015