Death Chant by Vella Munn

Death Chant

by Vella Munn

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GENRE:  romantic suspense

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BLURB:

Winter Barstow knows nothing of her past or ethnic heritage. Everything changes when Doc, her mentor, sends her an authentic ceremonial wolf mask from Olympic National Forest. 

Then Doc disappears. Winter goes to the mysterious  forest where she’s confronted by Native American ranger Jay Raven, who has no love for Doc.

Still, Jay can’t walk away from Winter. Not only has a spirit wolf reached out to her, but he also suspects she’s in terrible danger…and his growing feelings for her are too strong to ignore.

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Excerpt Two:

She started to reach for the mask but wound up unbuttoning the top two buttons on her blouse and pulling it away from her chest. Still staring at her reflection, she lightly stroked the small tattoo over her heart. It wasn’t particularly remarkable—just the outline of a wolf’s head with red eyes. It represented her reverence for a childhood obsession.

“Coincidence,” she muttered. “Don’t put anything into it.”

Hesitant, she picked up the mask, lifted it over her head and settled it into place. Immediately she plunged into a world of weight and darkness and wood scent.

Claustrophobia washed through her, causing her heart to slam against her chest, but she fought her way past the fear. All these years on her own had taught her to face life squarely. No way would she let a little darkness get the better of her. If some superstitious Hoh could wear it for hours, she could put up with a few minutes. Then when she got a hold of Doc she could tell him—tell him what?

The question faded along with her awareness of where she was. She was no longer hot and thirsty. Instead, she swore she was breathing cool, damp air that smelled of vegetation both growing and decaying.

Two holes had been drilled into the base of the muzzle, allowing her to catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She saw nothing of Winter Barstow. That woman had been replaced by fierce ancient symbolism.

A howl echoed throughout the small room.

   

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Vella Munn freely admits to being a dedicated and sometimes demented fiction writer. She has always been drawn to nature and those who feel at home in it. A career writer, she has had way over 60 books published, most of them romances both past and present. As far as personal statistics go, she has one husband, two sons, four grandchildren, and is owned by two rescue dogs. Home is southern Oregon within a two hour drive of Crater Lake. She frequently visits Montana in her mind and heart.

http://www.vella-munn.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Vella-Munn-Author-788044174656126/

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Chant-Vella-Munn-ebook/dp/B01K4VZTKK/

Interview with Vella Munn

Where do you get inspiration for your stories?

Oh boy, if I knew I’d bottle it up and carefully nurture what’s in there. In truth, ideas are everywhere. They’re wild animals. I could write for the next 200 years and not run out of material. For the most part I’m influenced by emotional impact. If something hits me in the gut, I want to write about it. Case in point: in my current book Death Chant, my heroine Winter Barstow was given the name because she was found in Barstow California in winter. I don’t know how, when, or why she took up residence inside me, but her story became so compelling I had no choice but try to capture it. What, I kept asking myself, is it like to know nothing of your past? To have no heritage, no roots? Some of the plot in Death Chant revolves around her search for answers.

For me, inspiration comes from imaginary or real people who are seeking understanding of themselves. Yes, I’m intrigued by what’s going on in the real world, but what matters the most is how the people who have hijacked my brain deal with that world.   

How did you do research for your book?

Setting means a great deal. I have to place my characters somewhere that’ll impact them. That calls for considerable Google research on my part which leads to blundering around like a child in a toy store. I truly indulge myself then all under the guise of research, right?

Eventually I get serious. Going back to Death Chant, the story takes place in the Olympic Forest so I needed to understand law enforcement in that amazing place. I’d been there so believed I could capture  what it feels, smells, and sounds like, but I had to accurately depict which agency handles death investigations. Via emails, I picked the brains of a couple of park rangers. Once I felt comfortable about those logistics, I created fictional employee housing and a place deep in the forest perfect for a murder to take place. In other words, I blended reality with fiction without leaving my desk although I would have given a great deal to return to that amazing place. Anyone want to go with me?  

Do you have another profession besides writing?

No and I’ve been writing for so long I no longer have any other marketable skills. Kind of scary. I used to be a social worker, not that it matters in today’s world.

If you could go back in time, where would you go?

I’m selfish. I want to return to the early part of the last century so I could meet my grandfather. Homer Eon Flint wrote for the pulp magazines and I consider him my mentor. He was murdered when my mother was six. I’d love to know him via more than his fiction and letters. We could talk shop and get to know each other. I’d also like to understand what my grandmother’s life was like when she was left to raise three small children alone.

What is your next project?

A series, probably three books, about people putting their lives back together after an arsonist sets fire to their small town. And yes, those are romances.

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Vella Munn will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway