March Madness: Jacinta Maree

She loves Japan....She loves teapots....She is from Australia.... and she knows how to write one gripping story....Come one Come all to meet the one....the only....

Jacinta Maree

Self confessed chocaholic, Jacinta was born and raised in Melbourne Australia with her loving family of five. Even as a child Jacinta had an itch to write. Writing was the one constant hobby she clung to, also trying her hand at piano, flute, tennis, horseback riding and drama.

Jacinta works full time in the family business and spends her afternoons either playing basketball, reading, writing or hanging out with friends. She is always happy to try something new; getting her real estate license, practicing ninjitshu, Zumba and parkour to name a few.

 

For her future, Jacinta sees herself writing. It is a large part of her identity and something she hopes to continue. Aside from her love of stories she loves Japan and its unique and beautiful culture and history. From their delicious sushi dishes right down to their wooden sandals and kimonos. She is also a huge cat person and loves to snuggle up in front of the fire for a good movie or book. Her favorite genres are paranormal and fantasy but she also loves anything written by thriller writer, Stephen King.  

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Rachael has traveled to Whitehaven to visit her father, a trek she can not help but dread given his recent descent into madness. Upon her arrival she realizes his deterioration has not only been mental, it's been physical as well. His death comes as no surprise, but what she discovers soon after, is shocking when his burden becomes hers.  Lock is a banished spirit who must attach himself to a human host in order to hide from those who would drag him back to hell to be destroyed. When he meets Rachael he finds more than a host, he finds an ally. Together they must defeat each of the seven sins in order to guarantee Lock's safe passage into the Third Realm, a loophole in creation that would allow him to escape hell and have peace at long last. Through their unlikely friendship, other banished spirits flock to them in hopes of a peace they hadn't dreamt possible. Open Book Society gave Maree's debut a rare 5 star review!! " Maree brings possessions to a whole new level." Jean Book Nerd 2012 Midwest Independent Publisher Award Nominee (Fiction- Paranormal)

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Interview With Jacinta Maree

1.  Are any of the people in your book based on people you know in real life?

Only the smaller roles are people from my life, but I mostly take names from my friends and family so don’t be surprised if you see your name in there. The character who has your name though may be your complete opposite, these characters are created to help either improve the story or cause some mayhem.

2.   Does your writing of ghost and spirits mean you believe they exist?

It’s hard to say that they don’t exist just because I’ve never seen one. I’ve heard many stories from other people explaining to me about their encounter with the paranormal. I have a tendency to go into non-believer mode and I am very skeptical, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love the idea of ghosts. If they existed that would open up an entire new dimension and world that we have no idea what it’s like. It’s just fascinating.

3.   Tell us something emotional that you’ve not told anyone that happen during writing your story.

Hmm… something emotional. Similar to many writers out there we get so caught up in the lives of our characters we react and feel as they feel. So I’ve gone through the rollercoaster of having someone die in my arms, having a demonic spirit attack me in the hallway and the sharp pain of jealously pinch at my chest. I know I got really heartbroken when I figured out the ending to the Demonic Ghost series. Actually, the first time I worked out how to end My Demonic Ghost – Banished Spirits I had to go on a long walk just to pick myself back up.

4.   Who would you have play your main character if it was turned into a movie?

In all honesty I have no idea. There’s no exact actor or actress out there that I think, ‘yes you’re perfect!’ I would rather have unknown actors who match the characters perfectly over any A listed celebrity. I don’t want people to look at the characters and say, ‘oh that’s so-so playing as Lock’ but I want them to look at them and say, ‘oh my god, that’s Lock!’ 

5.   How did the idea of possession come to you for this story?

I drew inspiration from Casper the friendly ghost, actually that was why Lock was created at the age he is now. The possession part came in a little later where these spirits of darkness and sin depend on the souls of the living. It gives them vulnerability, a type of weakness that can be used against them. They are not just self-absorb evil creatures; they are struggling just to survive.

6.   When can we expect another gripping story from you?

Oh, ha ha, well My Demonic Ghost – The Reapers is out in June. Hooray! The third installment, MDG Creators, is currently going through its first draft so I’m not sure how long. With the Demonic Ghost trilogy coming to an end I better get my butt into gear with some new story ideas. I already have two, maybe three in the brewing pot so it’s just a matter of doing the finger work and actually writing them.

7.   What advice do you have to other authors who want to dip their toes in the paranormal genre?

Be original! Ha ha ha, easier said than done I know but there’s so, so, so many books out there focusing on the paranormal and the supernatural your best bet is to go running in with fresh ideas. Paranormal is a fantastic genre to get into though. Go and watch some movies about ghosts, read other books and see what’s out there. Read is to learn.   

8.   What is your favorite part about living in Australia?

The people and the reputation of our beloved wildlife. I had noticed the difference in how people treat each other when I went flying over seas. On my arrival in the foreign country the airport staff were very serious and strict whereas on my return home even the security guards were laughing and smiling with the passengers. I know there are some people out there who don’t practice the act of kindness, but most Australians are genuinely friendly people.

9.   Your love for Japan is huge, have you ever gotten the chance to go and visit?

Yes! Oh my god, yes I love Japan and just last year I finally had enough money and the spare time to go visit the beautiful country. I loved every moment of it. As soon as I was sitting on the plane ride home I wanted to go back. Talking about nice people, Japanese people are so respectful and kind and will go out of their way to ensure you’re happy and comfortable. Their food is fantastic, their fashion designs and their adorable gadgets are unique and impressive. Not to mention they seem to love cats as much as I do. Just talking about it makes me want to go back!

10.   Which of your tea sets that you collect is your favorite?

Ha ha ha, you do know quite a bit about me to be asking that question. There’s this one particular teapot that I absolutely love, unfortunately it didn’t have any matching cups to go with it so I just bought it on its own. It’s this beautiful soft, beige colour with hand painted gold fish on the lid and on the body of the pot. I have collected quite a few but I think that one is my favourite; it’s simple but also very oriental and delicate.

11.   What is something you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t gotten around to yet?

A very, small part of me wants to get a tattoo. Not anything big, but a very small one of a dragon. I’ll probably never do it, not because of fear but mostly because I don’t think I should.

12.   Do you prefer to play the flute or the piano or another instrument you know?

My choice of instrument would be the drums but my parents didn’t want such a loud instrument in the house so I settled with the flute and piano. My choice between the two, piano. I just think it sounds better and I’m less likely to faint from losing my breath.

13.   Do you think you will ever get to meet Stephen King in person?

The chances of me ever getting to meet Stephen King is like zero, unless for whatever reason he decides to visit Melbourne Australia for a book launch then maybe I’ll have a chance. Even if I did meet him I would be too scared and shy. I’ll probably get stage fright; our entire conversation would be “umm… err… ah… erm…” I really hope I would be able to compose myself just enough to ask for an autograph and a hug.

14.   With as many deadly animals in Australia is it dangerous to live there? Can everything kill you or is that a rumor dramatized?

Yes and no. Yes, there are dangerous animals here. The last time I went for a jog around my house I got myself cornered by a family of kangaroos. Long story short I had to stand perfectly still and just wait till they hopped away on their own. I’m also lucky enough that where I live there’s an open field of snakes and foxes. I’m not saying we have sharks in our pools or crocodiles hiding under our beds though. I would also answer ‘no’ because we are pretty safe. There’s the odd snake break in or spider nest but over all the animals and people don’t usually clash. I think we have cuter animals more so than scarier ones.

15. What is a question you’ve always wanted to be asked in an interview but never have? And what is the answer?

Currently I am writing three different stories on completely different genres. One is My Demonic Ghost, which is the paranormal story, one of them is called Dusty Blood where it exists in a high fantasy world plagued with giant Zodiac guardians, mages and other mystical creatures and the last is Mechanical Breath which is a cyborg race of humans turning themselves into machines just to survive on their planet.

My question to myself would be, if I had a choice which world would I pick to live in? Ghosts (My Demonic Ghost), Zodiac guardians (Dusty Blood) or Cyborgs (Mechanical Breath)?

My answer…. Zodiac Guardians (Dusty Blood). Why? The world of the Zodiac Guardians is filled with magic and the chance to meet dragons and fly on the backs of giant birds. Where the word impossible doesn’t exist and you can achieve anything you want once you put your mind to it.  Plus, a fiery, stubborn, temperamental and rebellious young man by the name of Sebastian lives there, fighting for your affection and the freedom of the cursed.