Deborah LeBlanc's A HOUSE DIVIDED sounds like the kind of story that is just up my alley!



Check out what Barnes & Noble had to say: "Equal parts Edgar Allan Poe, Anne Rice and Stephen King - with a generous helping of jambalaya and crawfish pie - Louisiana born and bred horror maven Deborah LeBlanc's newest novel is a supernatural thriller… With just three novels under her belt (Family Inheritance, Grave Intent and A House Divided), LeBlanc has already amassed a huge cult following. Gruesome, creepy and chock full of jaw-dropping plot twists, LeBlanc's newest is, above all else, wildly entertaining." -Paul Goat Allen

Sounds fab, doesn't it?

Here's a bit more about the book:

Keith Lafleur thinks he's cut the deal of a lifetime. The huge old, two-story house is his for the taking as long as he can move it to a new location. It's too big to move as is, but Lafleur's solution is simple: cut it in half. He has no idea, though, that by splitting the house he'll be dividing a family, a family long dead, a family that still exists in the house . . .
Angelica Batiste is a young, mentally challenged woman with a unique gift. Her mind, no more advanced than a ten-year-old child's, sees things before they happen. Not only does she see them, she draws them with extraordinary perfection.
When Angelica moves into part of an old, two-story house with her cousin and a friend, her gift suddenly turns into a terrifying power she can not control. The house feeds it. The house needs it. And only death can make it stop.

And if that isn't cool enough, check out Deborah's bio:

Deborah LeBlanc is a suspense author with a unique background. Her debut novel, FAMILY INHERITANCE, includes some of her experiences as a trained treateur (Cajun Healer), and her second novel, GRAVE INTENT, incorporates some of her unusual encounters in funeral service.

Deborah is a licensed death scene investigator and an active member of two, national paranormal investigation teams. She is president of the Writers’ Guild of Acadiana, the mentor coordinator for the Horror Writers Association, and an active member of Mystery Writers of America and the International Thriller Writers Association. Deborah also created the LeBlanc Literacy Challenge, an annual, national campaign to encourage more people to read. To find out more about Deborah and the literacy challenge, visit; www.deborahleblanc.com

So here's my question: with cool jobs out there like death scene investigator and paranormal investigation team member, how did I end up practing law for so long? I mean, why didn't I explore my options????

I doubt I'll find insight into that question in Deborah's interview, but there's undoubtedly tidbits about her. Enjoy:


HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL “WRITING DAY”?

A writing day for me begins at 5:30 a.m. with a huge mug of coffee. I normally give myself about a half hour to wake up, shower, and throw on a pair of jeans and t-shirt before hitting the office. Once there, and with a second mug of coffee at the ready, I go over the last two chapters I’ve written so I can get back into the flow of the story. Then I start pounding away at the keyboard. Aside from bathroom breaks and an occasional coffee refill or bottle of water and a sandwich, I steadily type away until 3 or so in the afternoon. By that time, every creative brain cell in my head feels like it’s turned to oatmeal. I print what I’ve written, add it to the growing stack on the corner of my desk, then tackle emails that have accumulated during the day. Around 6, I come up for air and head for the kitchen and dinner. If I’m lucky, the book will leave me alone long enough to have a decent meal, spend a little time with my family, then get a good night’s sleep. If it doesn’t, I’m usually back at the keyboard around 9 to work for a couple more hours.

DO YOU RECALL THE KERNEL OF INSPIRATION FOR THIS BOOK?
Absolutely! The story for AHD came to me while visiting with a friend who claimed to have lived in a haunted house, not too far from my own home, when he was a kid. Always fascinated with a good ghost story, I was even more thrilled knowing the house was nearby. He took me to see it, and while visiting the small, abandoned home, I found out the structure was only half of a larger home.

As the story goes, an oil company, who purchased the property the home was originally built upon years ago, offered a local contractor the house. All he had to do to own it free and clear was move the house off the property. The contractor, knowing he would not be able to get the rent he needed for such a large house, decided to cut the house in half, move it to residential lots in another town, remodel the halves, then rent each structure separately. He accomplished his goal, for both halves were rented the moment the remodeling was completed. However, strange things began to happen to the families who moved into each structure. According to my friend, cabinet doors opened and closed on their own, utensil drawers flew open, lights in the kitchen turned on and off, the sound of children and a woman crying late at night. Chairs rocking on their own.

I didn't see or feel anything in the abandoned home of my friend and took his accountings of the paranormal events with a grain of salt. Still curious, however, I searched out the other half of the home, found it across town, and had the opportunity to speak to the single mother who lived there with her three children. When I told her why I was there, she actually seemed relieved and invited me inside. For over an hour, she recounted all the weird things that had been happening in the house since she'd moved in a year ago. Many of those events mirrored the ones my friend had told me about.

Although I didn't experience any phenomenon in either half of the house first hand, the stories generated enough fuel to set my imagination in motion, which eventually led to my latest novel.



PICK A CHARACTER IN THE BOOK AND TELL US WHAT TRAIT YOU SHARE (OR COME CLOSEST TO SHARING) WITH THAT CHARACTER.
I think I share Laura’s determination and her loyalty to friends.

IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND, WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A MAGICAL TRUNK THAT GAVE YOU LIMITLESS BOOKS TO READ, OR A LIMITLESS SUPPLY OF PAPER ON WHICH TO WRITE?
Ohh, that’s a tough one! I guess I’d have to choose a limitless supply of paper on which to write. I can always go back and read my own stories. J

BEER OR WINE? Wine-

CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? CHOCOLATE!

WHAT’S YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE BOOK? The Power of One - Bryce Courteny