Friday, October 23, 2015

Landra Graf shares spooky stories and sweet treats!


Cate: Woot! Landra Graf's arrived at my special Halloween celebration. Landra, please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Landra: I enjoy long walks, experimenting in the kitchen and getting lost in books. No really, I write in multiple genres from erotic, contemporary, and paranormal. My love for Supernatural knows no bounds. I've been a faithful watcher since the first season premiere. That's right no late bloomer here. I never got off the band wagon.

Cate: I can understand why! lol What do you love most about Halloween?
Landra: Candy? No, I love the spooky movies, sharing traditions with my kids, going to haunted houses, and the ushering in of fall and all things pumpkin, including carving pumpkins.

Cate: Do you have a favorite memory of a Halloween past?
Landra:  I do. Several in fact, but my fondest is of the webshow I hosted, The Beyond Natural, and our features on a couple local haunted houses and historic locations. Completing those episodes was a blast.

Cate: How cool! Have you ever had an unusual experience you couldn’t explain?
Landra: I've had a lot of unusual experiences. One of several is waking up to seeing a woman in a hospital gown at the entrance to my bedroom. Once I saw her she refused to leave me alone until I started to pray. That's one of the weirder experiences and I don't ever discount others strange tales.

Cate: *shudders* Scary! I'm intrigued by everyone's tales as well. What frightens you the most?
Landra: Zombies, which is hilarious since my latest release features zombies. I'm deathly afraid of the sci-fiction monster.

Cate: Good for you, facing your fears. :) Ever gone on a ghost tour? Or ghost hunting on your own?
Landra: I've never been on a ghost tour, but my husband has his own paranormal investigation team and I've been on a few investigations. I've also reviewed tons of footage and audio, which revealed a lot of spooky things to me. It's a pretty interesting experience and I highly recommend it to others.

Cate: Now for the sweet part - any favorite Halloween recipes you’d care to share?
Landra: Love me some pumpkin bread. Here's a great, simple recipe on pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/87749892713389457/ - this one is very similar to my own, but some recipe secrets must be kept quiet. :)

Cate: Yum! Thanks for sharing. Tell us about your latest release, and where readers can find it online.
Landra: My latest release is a fairytale re-telling of Sleeping Beauty. It's available now, and is set in a small Iowa town called Charming. There's romance, zombies, and a campy feel.

Cate: Care to share a blurb or excerpt?
Landra: Zombies don’t belong in fairy tales….at least not those with a good chance of a happily ever after…
Jason Prince, Charming's once-upon-a-time star jock, only attends his Charming high school reunion to find his way into the heart of a certain wallflower who had no date for the prom.
Shy, geeky, chemical engineer, Emma Fay has been keeping her love for Jason a secret because she knows Jason and Rose belong together. But, when Rose Briar pricks her finger, fulfilling a prophecy about death and a plague, she throws a wrench into the class reunion that not even the best planning committee can tackle.
Can Jason and Emma stop Zombie Beauty Rose before she turns their loved ones into her undead court and sends them forth to spread the infestation to the rest of the world? Or will human flesh become the daily special at diners everywhere? And will there be enough left of Jason and Emma for romance to blossom?

Cate: Fun! What inspired you to write about the theme?
Landra: My friend challenged me to re-write a fairy tale with zombies and Sleeping Beauty seemed the logical choice.

Cate: Anything else you’d like to share?
Landra: This book is a big deal for me, since I conquered a fear of mine to write it. Though it will probably be my last zombie story.

Cate: Oo, readers, you’re in for a double treat!
Landra: One lucky commenter will win a $5 dollar Amazon Gift Card and a copy of my latest release, A Rose By Any Other Name.

Cate: Good luck to all! And thanks for sharing in the Halloween fun, Landra.