Shiela Stewart
is a paranormal suspense author with a writing history that stems back to her
youth. Always a dreamer, wondering if her stories would ever reach an
audience, she was finally published in 2006 and hasn’t stopped since. It
is rare to find a stand-alone book as she prefers series stories. Her longest
running series to date is her Darkness series, which is a vampire romance.
Her joy for
scary suspense is evident in each of her books. She has had several
accomplishments, including fighting for the top spot in the rankings with
author Stephanie Myers, receiving glowing reviews as well as interviews on
local television and reviews and interviews in The Romantic Times Magazine.
When not
writing, Shiela spends her time with the love of her life, William, and their
children and grandchildren. Her strong affection for animals is evident in the
many cats she cares for.
Her favorite
time of the day is at sunset.
Character Interview
Beverley: What’s
your name?
C.J.: C.J. Dowling the 2nd. I was named after my grandfather.
Beverley: Where did you grow up?
C.J.: It takes place in current time
but shifts back to early 1900’s.
Beverley: What’s your story/back story? Why would someone come up
with a story about you?
C.J.: Why wouldn’t they? I’m smart,
Charismatic, handsome—all joking aside, my story is incredibly fascinating. I
was born with the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. I know, I can
hear everyone snorting and laughing. I’ve received that reaction all my life. I
don’t why I can see spirits, I just know I can’t avoid them. You’re not alone
in thinking I’m crazy. My family did as well. So much so, they sent me to
psychiatrists and even had me committed. You’ll have to read my story to find
out why they believe me now.
Beverley: What’s your goal in
this story?
C.J.: To put the dead to rest. I’ve been called to help put an
end to a torturous spirit refusing to leave his house. He is not a nice man.
Beverley: What conflicts are you facing?
C.J.: I want to put an evil spirit to rest, he is determined to
stick around. Let me tell you, it’s not easy.
Beverley: Do you have a plan for resolving them?
C.J.: Yes, I do. I have to find what is keeping the spirit
tethered to the house. And, I have a secret weapon who helps me.
Beverley: Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?
C.J.: I’m very stubborn. Some might say it’s a flaw, but I disagree. I’m
perfectionist, again, some might say it’s a flaw. I have a wicked and sometimes
warped sense of humor. And I’m a lover. I’ll just leave it like that. J
Blurb from Secrets of the Dead:
Jessica Coltrane is a die-hard sceptic who believes that ghosts and
paranormal activity are nothing more than a figment of an overactive
imagination. That is until she finds herself locked inside a haunted house with
the enigmatic paranormal investigator C.J. Dowling.
Born with the ability to see and speak to the dead, C.J. Dowling thought
investigating a haunted house would be a job like many others. He’s prepared
for anything—except smart and sexy Jessica.
Working together in close quarters, C.J. and Jessica discover it isn’t
only negative tension between the two, but sexual as well. Giving into their
desires seemed like a good idea at the time, until they wake and find the
spirits thought otherwise. Trapped with the ghost of a child long forgotten, an
amorous entity that is threatening Jessica, and a powder keg of a
spine-tingling mystery that might just be better left buried.
Excerpt from Secrets of the Dead:
Something
tickled her nose. Using her hand, she tried to swipe it away and felt the brush
of hair against her knuckles. Planting her hand, she felt the warm flesh
beneath her palm.
Recognition
hit and woke her with an angry slap. Eyes shooting open, she sat up quickly and
instantly regretted it when the room spun wildly around her. Laying back down,
closing her eyes, she waited out the dizziness the hangover caused. Her mind
raced to the night before.
The
soft ache in her loins reminded her of what she’d done. Carefully opening her
eyes, she turned her head to see a naked C.J. beside her.
“Oh, God.”
She looked over his naked body, remembering how good it felt having him inside
her. She hadn’t been that drunk that she couldn’t remember the event, and lord,
what an event it had been. They had literally torn each other’s clothing off.
She’d been an animal, which was so not like her.
What
did they do now? Would they go on as they had been, sniping at each other,
treat this as a one-night fling and move on? In truth, the guy irritated the
hell out of her, yet he’d made her feel so incredible the night before. How was
she supposed to respond to him now, after sharing something so intimate?
“Dowling,”
she spoke quietly. “Dowling.” When he moaned, she slapped his chest. “Dowling!”
“Jesus.”
“Wake
up.”
“I’m
awake.” He looked at her with a smile. “Morning.” Then his eyes went wide.
“Holy hell.” He bolted upright and jumped to his feet, nearly knocking her
over. “Oh, my God.”
“What
the hell?” The sofa stood on its end, two sitting chairs slammed up right
against it, all pushed against the window. The coffee and end tables stood one
on top of the other, in front of the fireplace.
Carefully,
Jessie stood up, waiting out the dizziness. She had to rub her eyes to make
sure she wasn’t seeing things. It looked like a hurricane had blown through.
“How…”
“I need
to check my equipment.” He flew off, still nude, and she got one hell of a look
at his ass.
She saw
her shirt by the fireplace, straps torn. She couldn’t exactly wear it in its
condition. Spotting his shirt hanging over the couch, she grabbed it and put it
on. It barely covered her, but would have to do for now.
“This
is incredible. The meters went off the scale. The temperature recorded several
degrees below freezing at one point. It didn’t last long, though, as it rose
exponentially. And we slept through it all. Damn, I have never seen anything
like this before. It’s phenomenal.”
“You’re
naked, you know?”
“What?”
He didn’t even look up.
“You’re
naked.” She tossed him his jeans, hitting him square in the face.
Unaffected
by it, he grabbed the jeans and slipped into them using his free hand. It amused her to watch him shimmy into his
tight jeans, jumping from one foot to the other. “The cameras!” He rushed to
the video equipment as he did up his pants. “Do you know what this means?”
“That
you were a busy boy last night.”
He
looked at her, confused. “Beg pardon?”
“I
don’t know how you managed it all alone, but I give you credit for a job well
done.”
“You
think I did all of this?”
“No, I
know you did all of this. Boy, you’ll do anything to make me a believer.”
His
eyes narrowed and his voice dipped an octave. “You think I did all of this just
to make you believe there are ghosts here?”
“Well…yeah.”
“Fine.”
Walking to her, he grabbed her arm and led her to the camera.
“Let go
of me.”
“Not
until you see this.” Taking her by the shoulders, he turned her to face the
monitor attached to one of the cameras. “Watch.” He pressed play.
Folding
her arms across her chest, Jessie glared at the screen. He’d recorded them
having sex.
“Oh my
God, you taped us making out? How could you?”
“I have
my cameras set on timers that begin taping on their own. I didn’t know we were
going to go at it like rabbits last night. Watch.”
“You
will erase those tapes,” she insisted, then grunted when he turned her face
back to the monitor. “What the hell?”
“Keep
watching.”
She
couldn’t pry her eyes away if she tried. The furniture lifted in the air, spun
around wildly before they slammed in front of the fireplace and window. “Oh my
god!”
“My sentiments exactly. I need to check the rest of
the house.” He left her mesmerized in front of the TV.
Buy Links for Secrets of the Dead
Apple Books.: https://books.apple.com/us/book/seducing-the-darkness/id1050480128
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shiela-Stewart/e/B002BLN95E%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seducing-the-darkness-shiela-stewart/1014485332?ean=2940152679007
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/secrets-of-the-dead-17
Decadent Publishing: http://decadentpublishing.com/secrets-of-the-dead/
Social Media Links:
Website: www.shielastewart.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shiela.stewart
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShielaSue
