I’m thrilled to welcome Lori Sjoberg today. She’s currently on tour with her new release Grave Intentions – a paranormal tale of grim reapers with a romantic twist that I enjoyed reading very much. I asked Lori where she came up with the idea for her story and this is what she said…
The idea for Grave Intentions started with a scene. More specifically, it started with the dark moment of the story, the point where all seems lost for the hero and heroine. It came to me one weekend morning while I was out walking my dogs. I ended up logging a few extra miles trying to figure out who these people were, what they were doing, and why they were so torn up. (Please forgive me for being vague, but I don’t want to spoil anything for the folks who haven’t read the story yet.)
Because the scene involved supernatural elements, I decided the male protagonist needed to be a reaper. At the time it wasn’t a very common element in paranormal romance, and it allowed me the freedom to create and explore a rich new supernatural world. And since my reapers were once mortal beings, it also gave me the opportunity to show the ramifications of acting as the harbinger of death, of the emotional toll it would take on their psyches.
Now that I knew who my hero would be, I turned my attention to the heroine. I wanted her to be a strong woman, someone fiercely intelligent who would give the hero a serious run for the money. But I also wanted to make her mortal. At first, I considered making her a cop, but ultimately decided to make her a scientist, one who doesn’t believe in anything that can’t be scientifically proven. A woman whose analytical nature stems from a deeply ingrained fear of the skeletons lurking in her family’s closet.
From there, the rest of the details fell into place. The reaper who fears he’s losing his humanity. The scientist who fears the prospect of losing her mind. Sparks fly when their paths cross, until a twist of fate threatens to tear their world to pieces. Can they overcome the obstacles driving them apart? I could give you the answers, but where’s the fun in that?
CONTEST: Win an e-copy of Grave Intentions.
Grave Intentions
First Book of the Grave Series
Lori Sjoberg
Genre: paranormal romance
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
ISBN: 9781601830067
ASIN: B009T9SCDA
Number of pages: Approx. 289
Word Count: 96,100
Amazon B&N
Book Description:
He’s handsome, reliable, and punctual-the perfect gentleman when you want him to be. But this dream man is Death’s best agent-and now he’s got more than his soul to lose . . .
One act of mercy before dying was all it took to turn soldier David Anderson into a reaper-an immortal who guides souls-of-untimely-death into the afterlife. But the closer he gets to atoning for his mortal sin and finally escaping merciless Fate, the more he feels his own humanity slipping away for good.
Until he encounters Sarah Griffith. This skeptical scientist can’t be influenced by his powers-even though she has an unsuspected talent for sensing the dead. And her honesty and irreverent sense of humor reignite his reason for living-and a passion he can’t afford to feel. Now Fate has summoned David to make a devastating last harvest. And he’ll break every hellishly-strict netherworld rule to save Sarah…and gamble on a choice even an immortal can’t win.
About the Author:
Growing up the youngest of three girls, Lori never had control of the remote. (Not that she’s bitter about that. Really. Okay, maybe a little, but it’s not like she’s scarred for life or anything.) That meant a steady diet of science fiction and fantasy. Star Trek, Star Wars, Twilight Zone, Outer Limits – you name it, she watched it. It fed her imagination, and that came in handy when the hormones kicked in and she needed a creative excuse for staying out past curfew.
After graduating from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science, Lori worked for nearly a decade in retail management. When that got boring, she switched to financial planning, and then insurance. The writing bug bit a few years later. After completing her first manuscript, she joined the Romance Writers of America and Central Florida Romance Writers. Now she exercises the analytical half of her brain at work, and the creative half writing paranormal romance. When she’s not doing either one of those, she’s usually spending time with her husband and children of the four-legged variety.
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLoriSjoberg
Twitter @Lori_Sjoberg
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6574214.Lori_Sjoberg
Amazon – Grave Intentions
I have not read too many reaper stories but this one looks fascinating.
This is a fun one, Debra. I recommend it. :)
Lori – welcome again. I find that dog walking is excellent for plotting time.
Thanks so much for hosting today’s stop on the tour, Shelley, and thanks for the lovely review! I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed it!
It’s great to meet another dog lover. I’ve come up with some awesome ideas while walking the four-legged fur babies.
I love knowing the story behind the story!
Sounds like a good read. Good luck with it.
If I weren’t already intrigued by the premise, the cover would “abs”olutely catch my attention.
Wishing you the very best with Grave Intentions, Lori!