Cate: Please welcome Landra Graf to my special Halloween celebration. Landra,
please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Landra: Thank you for having me Cate! I'm excited to be here. I'm not
very good at talking about myself, but I'll give it a whirl. I'm a writer,
first and foremost. Outside of that, I'm a reviewer for a couple of reading
blogs, Smitten by Books, and Indie Books R Us, and a mother to two spawn. I
love a good happily ever after read, and truly believe that books are a balm
for the soul. It's nice to get lost in someone else's life for a little while
and forget the worries of your own.
Cate: You're crazy busy! Especially now that you're co-hosting Scream for a Cure. Check it out, peeps - this special event is for a wonderful cause, and it all starts today!
What do you love most about Halloween?
Landra: I love the costumes, the movies, and the natural fear and the
desire to be scared that the holiday invokes.
Cate: Do you have a favorite memory of a Halloween past?
Landra: Tons of favorite memories, but probably the best one was
conducting two episodes of my paranormal web show in two haunted house
attractions. The web show experience was a few years ago, but I enjoyed
interviewing attendees and then actually have my own walk through experience
filmed.
Cate: I'll have to look that up! :) Have you had any other unusual experiences you couldn’t explain?
Landra: My husband is a paranormal investigator, so yes. I've heard
things that can't be explained, experienced a few scary things. I'll tell you
the worst one. My husband was living in a super old house, old as in wooden,
winding staircase to the second floor and an old wooden door with thick,
patterned glass you couldn't see through. The company he worked for at the time
operated an office on the first floor, and he lived on the second floor. Now
remember that door, it was at the top of the stairs and could be shut and
locked, since the upstairs was essentially a 2 bedroom apartment, with a 3rd
room converted into a kitchen. The creepy part, if you didn't put a bible
against the door, every night someone/thing would walk up the stairs and start
turning the doorknob to get in. At first I didn't believe, until I was there
alone on New Year's Eve and saw the thing turn left, turn right, and start to
jiggle.
Cate: What a cool job! And scary story. What frightens you the most?
Landra: I've experienced the paranormal and the scary part is how you
protect your little ones against something you can't see, can't touch. I won't
dive into discussions of beliefs because there are a lot of them. I will say my
faith is my biggest weapon, but it's still a scary thought.
Cate: Agreed. Ever gone on a ghost tour? Or ghost hunting on your own?
Landra: The second one, yes. Like I mentioned before, my husband is the
founder of Supernatural Truth Investigations. He's got an upcoming two-team
investigation in a few weeks in a small town. They will be investigating a
school and a couple of other buildings. I haven't been on an investigation in a
while, but I still help out in review sessions. It's amazing the things they
catch on digital voice recorders.
Cate: Any favorite Halloween recipes you’d care to share?
Landra: I'm a fan of everything Halloween, but one of my favorite
recipes: Ghost Oreo Balls. I encourage you to look it up on Pinterest or
anywhere online. There's a lot of fun to be had with Ghost Oreo Balls.
Cate: Sounds fun! :) Tell us about your latest release, and where readers can find it
online.
Landra: Currently with one book out through Decadent Publishing called
What You Need. My second book, a self-publishing venture, With This Kilt, I
Thee Wed comes out October 14th. Only problem is both of these tasty treats are
erotic romance.
Cate: Love that cover! Care to share a blurb or excerpt?
Landra: They’re not your traditional highlanders.
Rafe Gordon, Laird of Nairn, is searching for release from the nightmare of his wife’s passing. When Elsie, his daughter’s new governess, brings with her the temptation of passion and a less-than-perfect-past, Rafe must decide if love truly can conquer all.
Innes Gordon is looking for a good time. When that good time turns out to be the childhood-friend-turned-kept-woman Catriona, he finds himself torn between claiming her ‘til death do us part’ or simply sharing her with his twin.
Hamish Gordon is seeking a woman all his own. While his family’s home is invaded with nuptial ceremonies, Hamish is sent to patrol his older brother’s hunting grounds in search of a thief. Discovering his prey yields the biggest surprise — and Athdara needs his help as much as he needs hers.
Cate: What inspired you to write about the theme?
Landra: My own experiences. I've enjoyed my time investigating and
hosting a show all about the paranormal. The ghosts, evps, and other strange
phenomena seem to get more interest around Halloween and I'm always happy to
discuss.
Cate: Anything else you’d like to share?
Landra: Yes, paranormal investigation for me and my husband is not
about finding evidence, it's about helping people. When you experience
something strange it can be hard to tell others for fear they'll think you're
crazy or worse. My husband's team typically only takes on residential cases for
this fact alone, people need someone to talk to, to investigate their claims
without judgment.
Cate: Woot! Landra has a giveaway for you! Be sure to leave your email address with your comment.
Landra: One lucky commenter will win a copy of my upcoming release:
With This Kilt, I Thee Bed.
Cate: Thanks so much for partying with us, Landra!
