Q+A with Marta Acosta + Dark Companion Giveaway

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Marta Acosta.  Marta is the author of the Casa Dracula series (Happy Hour at Casa Dracula, Midnight Brunch, The Bride of Casa Dracula, Haunted Honeymoon ), Wolfish in Sheep's Clothing, and Dark Companion.

Keep reading for a chance to win a copy of Dark Companion by Marta Acosta.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Marta:  I've been writing every since I learned how to scrawl the alphabet. I was always writing stories, poems, essays, notes to friends, whatnot. I always wrote things during the school day to entertain myself and friends. Then I went on to college and studied creative writing, but I was still writing for my friends and for fun.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Marta:   Paranormal poses the question, "What if...?, and I especially like stories where a character's notion of reality is challenged. Right now, there's such an amazing range of paranormal fiction, including dystopians, horror, romances, action thrillers, mysteries, and comedies. One of the things I like best about paranormal is that I can place a character in a situation where she can't take the normal paths to safety, i.e., going to the police, but must use her own resources to save herself.

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Marta:   That's easy! I would like to transport myself from one place to another. Flying is expensive, time consuming, and annoying. I'd love to visit so many places!

EJ:  Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.

Marta:   There are so many things to love about Dark Companion -- the beautiful and creepy setting at Birch Grove Academy, the determined foster girl and her funny new friend, Mary Violet, the  quotes from classic gothics, and, of course, echoes of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and other classic gothics.

EJ:  If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Marta:  Now that's a really hard question! I don't think of actors or actresses when I envision my characters.  I have ideas that are more about personalities or even the sound of their voices, than about appearances. But frequently I see girls at the mall or wherever and I think, "She looks like Jane!" I recently told the narrator for my audiobooks that Ksenia Solo, who plays Kenzi in "The Lost Girl" urban fantasy series, has the funny sexy snark of my character Milagro, but she doesn't look like her.  I love to hear readers' suggestions on good casting for my stories, especially who they'd like to see play hilarious Mary Violet.

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta.

When foster teen Jane Williams is invited to attend elite Birch Grove Academy for Girls and escape her violent urban neighborhood, she thinks the offer is too good to be true. She's even offered her own living quarters, the groundskeeper's cottage in the center of the birch grove.

Something's not quite right about the school -- or is it Jane? She thinks she sees things in the birch grove at night. She's also beginning to suspect that the elegant headmistress and her sons are hiding secrets. Lucky is the gorgeous, golden son who is especially attentive to Jane, and Jack is the sardonic puzzling brother.

The school with its talented teachers and bright students is a dream for a science and math geek like Jane. She also loves her new friends, including hilarious poetry-spouting rich girl, Mary Violet. But the longer Jane stays at Birch Grove, the more questions she has about the disappearance of another scholarship girl and a missing faculty member.

Jane discovers one secret about Birch Grove, which only leads to more mysteries. What is she willing to sacrifice in order to stay at this school...and be bound to Birch Grove forever?


Thank you Marta for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about Marta Acosta and her books, please visit her website.

**Dark Companion Giveaway**

We are giving away a copy of Dark Companion by Marta Acosta to one lucky winner.

To enter, please leave a comment on this post including your email address so we may contact you if you win.  This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only.  Giveaway ends July 26, 2012 midnight EST.