It's my great pleasure to welcome D L Koontz to the Flightdeck today, to tell us more about her book and why she writes about the paranormal.
Hi, Lyn. Thanks for letting me join your
blog today to talk about Crossing into
the Mystic.
First, an overview of the book, for
perspective: After the deaths of her parents and sister, insufferably
independent main character Grace is so grief-stricken that even years later,
when she encounters a ghost, she is charmed into trusting him with the hope of
(1) being able to help him solve his murder, and (2) making contact through him
with her dead family.
As if the thrills and chills of ghosts
and demons aren’t enough, she finds herself embroiled in a love quadrangle –
with two living guys and one dead.
The book addresses the notion that: Now
and then, you see something that alters how you view the world. And, it explores the question: Do ghosts
exist, or are they demons in disguise?
Why
Paranormal?
I’m often asked: Why did you choose to write about paranormal?
I even had someone ask: Why don’t you write about something more believable
than ghosts, like vampires or zombies?
First, to address the second question, I
guess that person felt that the living
dead was more believable than the dead
dead?
No matter; back to the first
question.
First, I’m fascinated with the notion
that we probably don’t see and understand most of what’s around us.
Scientists say that ninety-five percent
of the universe consists of dark matter and dark energy whose fundamental
nature is a mystery. In short, you can’t see most of what’s out there.
Second, I harbor a strong faith in God
and an afterlife, so I also believe in the potential for incredible miracles.
Third, I’ve met countless sane,
successful, intelligent, well-educated people through the years who, in hushed
tones, confess to having encountered a ghost. The revelation is generally accompanied
with an agitation, annoyance, almost an apology, as though they’re concerned
what my reaction will be. Their concern seems to be that I will label them as crazy. Instead, I walked away fascinated
each time.
So, when you merge all that together
your mind can go wild, as mine did.
What’s more, according to Gallup polls,
nine of out ten people believe in God.
And the Harris poll found that fifty-one percent of the public believes
in ghosts. So clearly, there’s an
overlap. I wanted to explore that notion.
The Bible is filled with references to
evil and demons, and Christ repeatedly cast out demons, so I believe the
universe is much more complex and mysterious than it may appear to our senses.
So, are the “ghosts” that Grace
encounters actually demons in disguise? I don’t want to spoil it, so you’ll
have to read the series to find out.
What about you—what do you believe? Ever
experienced an angel? Ever seen a ghost? Do you associate ghosts as
angels/demons?
Crossing
Into the Mystic:
A
Civil War Paranormal Romance
The
Crossings Series
Book
One of a Trilogy
D.L.
Koontz
Genre:
Inspirational Fantasy, paranormal elements
Print Length:
258 pages
ISBN: 1941103030
ASIN: B00J5GSSRM
Publisher: Lighthouse
Publishing
of the Carolinas
Book
Description:
Three years
after losing her family in a car crash, Grace MacKenna is set to inherit her
stepfather's ancestral estate among the mountains of West Virginia. Seeking
solace and healing, Grace discovers the ghost of William Kavanaugh, a dashing
Civil War captain in Virginia s 17th Infantry, haunts the property. When
William charms Grace into investigating the mystery that led to his death a
hundred and fifty years ago, she finds herself drawn into a world of chivalry
and honor, but also deception with secrets too dark to speak aloud.
Meanwhile, Clay
Baxter, home from service in Afghanistan, fights his own demons and ghosts.
When Clay senses Grace falling deeper into the realm of the dead, he seeks to
pull her back. But is he too late?
Torn between her
love for two mysterious young men - one living and one dead - Grace stands in
the shadows of the Antietam Battlefield with a choice: one that could leave
Grace lost forever, "crossing into the Mystic."
Reviews
In Crossing Into
The Mystic, D.L. Koontz makes a very different world real. ~ Ann Vanino
The story is
complex and unexpected and I enjoyed the twists of plot. by Felicia Bowen
Bridges
I kept going
back and reading a sentence, a paragraph, some of the time the whole page.~
Tricia Scoggins
About
the Author
D. L. Koontz was
born in Pennsylvania, but with her husband, now splits her time between their
home in mountainous West Virginia and their cattle ranch in coastal plains
Georgia. She has a son and a stepdaughter. A member of ACFW (American Christian
Fiction Writers) and ASJA (American Society of Journalists and Authors), she is
a former journalist, business consultant, spokesperson, and college instructor.
After several non-fiction books, Crossing into the Mystic is her first novel.
According to legend, the stone monument in the field marks the resting place of 'Gelert', the faithful hound of the medieval Welsh Prince Llewelyn the Great. The story, as written on each tombstone, one in English and one in Welsh, reads:
