Book Release: "Beast Within," by Caitlin Hensley

Today I am very happy to have a good friend of mine here to celebrate the release of her newest book! Miss Caitlin Hensley, writer of YA paranormal, and many other things, has appeared on my blog several times, and as always I am thrilled to have her here. Make sure to read all the way to the end and enter the drawing for a free e-copy of Caitlin's first book Paranormal Legacy!

Hi Caitlin! When did you first start writing? Have you always wanted to be a writer?

To be honest, I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. My dream has always been to see my name on the spine of a book, and now it’s come true! :)

Do you outline your books, or write as you go?

I usually type out a rough outline, then spend some time composing character backstories and searching for reference pictures on the Internet. After that, the actual writing begins, and I fill in details and expand the plot as I go.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what?

I love listening to movie soundtracks, especially the ones from Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Trek. The more epic the music, the easier the words tend to flow.

For you, what’s the hardest part of writing?

When I’m editing one of my books for the last time, after editing it about a bazillion times before that, I have a hard time focusing. As I’m sure you can imagine, reading a book that much can get pretty tiresome…

What’s your favorite genre to read?

I’ll read just about anything, really. Paranormal, fantasy, contemporary, dystopia, you name it! Right now, I’m reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

November is National Novel Writing Month. Are you participating this year?

I love NaNo! And yes, I’m participating. I wasn’t sure if I would, but in the end, I couldn’t resist the urge. I’m working on a YA contemporary romance, and though this is the first time I’ve written in that genre, I’m having a blast!

What’s the title of your latest release? What genre does it fit into?

It’s called Beast Within, and it’s the third book in The Inhuman Chronicles. It’s YA paranormal-fantasy.

Can you share an excerpt with us?

Sure! Here’s a bit from chapter one:

“Tell me about your dream,” Luke says.

“Well . . . I was in the woods,” I say. “Only there was snow on the ground, everywhere, really deep. And . . . and I was holding Todd’s body in my arms.”

At this, Luke stiffens and sets down his glass. I drop my gaze to the tile and keep going. It’s too late for me to stop now.

“There was a huge hole in Todd’s chest, like he’d been stabbed, probably with the sword that was on the ground beside us. Because it had, you know, blood all over it.”

“Oh my.”

I glance at him again. His face has turned gray. “D-does that mean anything to you?” I ask.

He swallows. “No,” he says, the word catching in his throat. “It means nothing at all.”

Disappointment crashes over me. I was counting so much on Luke having the answers, but he’s as clueless as I am. Now what?

He jumps up from his barstool, so suddenly that my heart stutters in my chest. “Like I said, I don’t know a thing about it. Now why don’t you let me see you to the door? I’d like to return to bed.”

I stand up and ball my hands into fists. “Did you hear a word I just said? This is serious, Luke.”

“Oh yes, I’m sure it seems that way to you. Everyone believes their dreams are important.”

“That dream wasn’t just my imagination,” I say tightly. “It was real.”

He gives a funny little smile. “Was it?”

The urge to whine at him is strong, but I suppress it. I study Luke. He’s staring at a clock mounted on the far wall instead of at my face.

He’s not an idiot, I realize—he’s pretending not to believe me.

“What are you hiding?” I ask, folding my arms. “You should know, it’s really obvious.”

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about,” he says. “Now come along, and I’ll show you to the door.”

Any advice for other writers?

Write for yourself. If you worry too much about what other people will think of your book, you’ll never get the first draft written. Just concentrate on reaching the end of your story, and THEN you can consider other people’s opinions.

Where can people go to find information about your books?

Amazon  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads  |  Blog

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