BLOG TOUR: Meet Jenna-Lynne Duncan: author of Hurricane

Jenna-Lynne Duncan is very generously hosting my blog tour today at: http://www.jenna-lynne.com/1/post/2011/10/guest-post-sheila-deeth.html. If you head over there you'll find an excerpt from my new release, Flower Child, plus some information about the memories that went into writing it.

Meanwhile I’m pleased to host Jenna's tour here with an excerpt from from Jenna-Lynne’s new book, Hurricane (find my review here.) Jenna-Lynne has researched some interesting facts about a house in New Orleans for her story, so read on… then leave your questions for her in the comments.

' When I woke, Hayden hovered over me. I was outside, lying on the hard gravel of an unpaved country road.  

“What purpose does this serve?” Luke spit as he leaned against the front of the truck. 

“Quiet. She just needs some fresh air.” Hayden was kneeling down beside me, his body so close I could feel the sweet heat of his breath as he spoke. I didn’t want to move, but I couldn’t ignore the reality of the situation. I was being kidnapped and heading deeper into the swamp, where it was likely my body would never be found. The alligators would eat my remains, and soon there would be nothing left of me. I could see the headlines in the fictional newspapers in my head. I didn’t hesitate to think out an escape plan. Before I knew it, I was on my bare feet taking off in the other direction. I didn’t think about the alligators that were likely in the water next to me. I just knew I had to get to the main road. 

“She’s running away?” I heard Hayden say in a surprising tone.

“Go get her!” Luke yelled from behind me.'

New Orleans has always been a place of intrigue and mystery; the setting of endless vampire and ghost stories. Some are more real than you may think. I wanted to tell Madame Lalaurie’s story and the history behind New Orleans most haunted mansion. It plays a brief, but dark, role in my novel Hurricane but there is a truth behind it.

 When writing, I tried not to do extensive research on the house on Rue Royal. I wanted to use only information that I myself had heard growing up, making it a true ghost story. Importance is not in the details, rather how the story is told. Of course, today I do know more about Lalaurie and the mansion on Royal Street than perhaps I would have liked to. It all goes back to the 1800’s. 1140 Royal Street was the tallest and most beautiful house at that time. Three stories high, it had a big wraparound porch on the second level; perfect for celebrating Mardi Gras activities. But, there would be no fun in that house. It was a house filled with horror. In the late 1830’s Madame Lalaurie was a socialite. To those who were her guests, she was described as kind, and charming. But to her servants she was anything but. She would severely mistreat them; beat them- she even threw a young girl off her third story balcony. One day there was a fire in her home. As the town people came to help her retrieve her valuables, they made a gruesome discovery in the attic. The servants had been beaten up and chained to the floor. After the townspeople made the discovery, a mob had called for Lalaurie’s blood. By that time, she had fled. Some say she was reportedly laid to rest in France, while others claim she never left. You can still visit the house today - if you dare. In the market for a new home? Lucky for you, the house is for sale. Its previous owner, Nicholas Cage, recently foreclosed and the house is now bank-owned. 

Thank you so much for having me on your blog and I hope y’all will check out my novel Hurricane; the first book in a brand new series. 

Thank you Jenna-Lynne for having me on yours :)

About Hurricane:  Hurricane is a paranormal romance novel for young adults. It follows Adriana Alexander, a high school teen whose dreams predict the future. When her dream of two mysterious brothers attending her school comes true, she makes it her goal to figure out the brothers’ secret. What she didn’t predict was that the brothers would kidnap her on the eve of Hurricane Katrina. The book chronicles the trio’s evacuation from New Orleans, complete with a touch of voodoo and a vengeful ghost, and Adriana’s eventual return to the devastated city she loves. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the New Orleans Habitat for Humanity.

About the Author: Jenna-Lynne has years of writing experience including short-stories and poetry. Hurricane is her first novel, and she is planning a series.

In addition to writing, Jenna-Lynne has extensive experience in the fields of Political Science, international Studies, and Middle Eastern Studies, in studying at the University of St. Thomas and other various positions. She is multi-lingual in 4 different languages.