Blood Matters
by Aviva Bel’Harold
YA Supernatural
Book Description
Grief changes people.
Brittany used to be a normal teen. She ate like one, slept like one, and had typical teenage mood swings. But after she found her best friend dead, everything changed.
Grief might explain her loss of appetite and her lack of sleep. It might even explain why she sees her dead friend everywhere she goes. But it certainly won’t explain why everyone she touches develops bruises or why she’s attracted to the smell of blood.
And, she’s pretty sure grief dosen’t make you want to rip apart your boyfriend just to get closer to his beating heart.
But what happens when it’s the choices we make, not the creature inside, that proves the monster is in us all?
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
I love people. I love being around them. Listening to their life stories. Talking to them. Entertaining them with my life stories. I love doing this so much that for a long time I figured I should have been an actress. But I had kids before I could pursue a career in acting.
2. What made you want to become a writer?
I never wanted to be a writer… No, actually, that’s not entirely true. I never thought I could be one. You see, I’ve always had stories — huge epic fantasies in my head. But I’m dyslexic so I never thought I could become an author. I always figured I’d just be a good story teller — you know, the kind of person who’s good to have at parties.
3. Who or what gives you inspiration?
I think we need to find inspiration wherever we can — daily! So for me my kids inspire me. Growing up is never easy even when things look like they are. Growing up is met with challenges and learning opportunities. And the way kids will face them head on is an inspiration. My kids have inspired me to keep on trying even when I don’t succeed (or at least it doesn’t appear that I am succeeding).
My husband also inspires me to be better. He loves me, just the way I am, but for him I constantly want to be better.
My friends inspire me to find joy in the now. They tell me time and again that if I’m not having fun then I should reevaluate how I’m doing things. Even if its a simple change of attitude.
And finally my fans inspire me to keep going even then I feel like I’m all tapped out. A simple note or mention can to a long way for inspiration to pick up my pen and get another chapter written, edited, finished.
4. Tell us about Blood Matters.
Blood Matters is the only way I could envision vampires to be real. Up to coming up with this idea I thought vampires were a nice idea but not really feasible.
However, as I wrote the book I fell in love with EV (the parasite). And it was my love for her — my heroic villain — that kept my pen moving across the page to the books completion.
5. What’s the hardest part of being a writer?
The hardest part is balancing everything. I mean, how much do I write each day/week? How many days do I let the dishes pile up? When the story is flowing I don’t want to stop to make dinner or clean, or even spend time with my family. Yet when I’m in problem solving mode (others might call it ‘writers block’) then the dishes, no the whole kitchen, in fact the whole house is cleaned! Sometimes I worry that living with me is like being with someone who’s bipolar. It’s can’t be easy for my kids or my hubby (but I think the dogs are ok with it…)
6. What do you need around you to write (special drink, lucky items, etc)?
I need my pen. Silly really. My Uni-ball Signo 207 pen. Its not the best out there, though it’s not the cheapest either. They are disposable so I go thought a couple each month. But without my pen I’m lost. My second necessity is coloured paper. I have a crazy system with different colors of paper for different editing stages… Oh, and printer ink — I’m hooped if the printer runs out of ink.
Other than that… I guess my sauna is also a necessity. I go in there and it’s like a dark room — no distractions. I get a lot of good writing/editing done there.
7. What are some of your favorite books?
Favourite books are like clothing to me. I will love a shirt of pair of pants so much that I’ll wear it until it is falling apart. Books are the same. If I love it I read it over and over again until it is completely worn out so the words aren’t legible any more. Then I put those books on my featured book shelf so everyone can see them (even if they don’t look like much to look at). Some of the books that have made it there are:
Harry Potter (all of them)
The Twilight series
The Left Behind series
Ann McCaffery’s Dragon Rider’s series
Kelly Armstrong’s The Summoning as well as The Gathering
Artemis Fowl
And all books by Torey L. Hayden
8. Are your characters based on anyone you know?
No, not in this book. I did however borrow names for it but not because the characters represented anyone, I just liked the names.
9. What, if anything, are you working on right now?
Right now I am working on a space adventure that takes place in a solar system ruled by magic that’s being misused. It’s a YA that’s a dystopian space opera with magic. It’s going to be amazing!
10. Why do you love writing?
Writing makes me feel like I’ve lived more lives than the one I’ve been given. Also, I like meeting new people and when I write I feel like I do that with each new character. And lastly, even if I wasn’t writing I’d still be making all these things up — so being a writer helps me justify all my daydreaming.
About the Author
Aviva Bel’Harold writes young adult fiction: Horror, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, etc. — as long as the characters are young, full of life, and out for adventure. When she’s writing, you’ll find her curled up on a sofa with a pen and a pad of paper, surrounded by her adorable puppies.Born in Winnipeg and raised in Vancouver, Aviva Bel’Harold currently resides in Calgary with her husband, four children, and six dachshunds.
Website | Facebook | Twitter: @AvivaTheAuthor
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