Interview with Kimber Leigh Wheaton, author of Tourtured Souls

Since I'm a part of the promotional tour for Tortured Souls, I got a chance to do an interview with the author, Kimberly Wheaton, and here it is!

Describe Tortured Souls in a few sentences.

Tortured Souls is the first book in The Orion Circle series which featured a group of teenage paranormal hunters. Think Scooby Doo meets Supernatural. Tortured Souls is about Kacie, the newest member of the Circle. She is a physical medium who is being stalked by the ghost of a serial killer.

Tell us about the main character in Tortured Souls.

Why did you decide to write in the paranormal genre?

I've had an interest in the paranormal since I was a child. I love all sorts of mythology and folktales. My bookshelves are filled with books on the paranormal that I've collected through the years. In The Orion Circle series I plan to really explore the supernatural world: ghosts, cryptozoology, werewolves, vampires—you name it. I just find the whole supernatural world fascinating.

What was the first paranormal book you remember reading?

I had several nonfiction books about ghosts that I absolutely loved. They’re long gone now, and I can’t remember the titles. They were both paperbacks, and I read them until they fell apart. The first book I read in the adult category was Salem’s Lot by Stephen King. I was in fourth grade at the time, and yes, I did lose sleep because of that book. There are still scenes that stick out in my mind even after all these years. I became a huge Stephen King fan after that. I also found Dean Koontz and discovered I liked his work even more!

Are any of your characters inspired by people in your life, past or present?

No. All of these characters came straight from my imagination. I always tell my husband that he is the inspiration for all of my heroes and villains. But in Tortured Souls that simply isn’t the case. Fortunately my husband is nothing like the Foxblood Demon!

When can we expect the next book in The Orion Circle series?

I’m working on both books 2 and 3 right now. I started book 2 several weeks ago and realized about one-third of the way through that I had two distinct plot lines. These need to be explored in separate books, so I had to split them. I’m also working on book 1.5 which will be a collection of short stories. I hope to have one out around November 4^th.

I hope you enjoyed this interview and are interested in picking up Kimberly's awesome book, and be sure to stay tuned for my review of Tortured Souls, which will be up soon.

-DFTBA, Lauren