Marissa Farrar - Guest Blog and Contest

Today PVN welcomes Marissa Farrar author of several books of the paranormal including the recent vampire novel The Dark Road. Marissa is graciously offering a copy of this ebook to one lucky reader. Please see the end of the post for more information.

[Correction: Although Marissa has written about vampires in other novels none appear in The Dark Road. Still it's a darn scary, paranormal book - PVN]

Dark Genres

As an author, I've struggled to place my work into one category. I've always classed myself as a horror author, but recently things people have been saying about my work are making me think differently.

First of all, I don't write gross-out, slasher horror, or anything like that. Though I write about the paranormal, often the horror element is as much the storyline running alongside the paranormal one. Though I love the paranormal, really itís the real life things that scare us the most.

In my vampire novel, Alone, although the vampires themselves are dangerous and should be feared, the real horror comes in the form of the main character's abusive husband and the torment he puts her through.

In my third novel, The Followers, due for release mid 2011, (though you can get a sneak preview at www.freefantasticalfiction.blogspot.com, where I am posting chapters each week as an on-going serial) again the true horror is in the reality part of the story. There is a supernatural element to the novel, in the form of a hideous old lady who is apparently killing men in their sleep, but the true horror nature of the novel is in the fundamentalist actions of the town's prophet, Eli.

The Dark Road is slightly different. The horror element is certainly there, and the driving force of the novel, but it's the characters and their own personal struggles which make the novel. Its theme is sacrifice - what would you sacrifice to redeem yourself amongst your peers, to have the life you want, to save the ones you love?

Here is the blurb: 

When a group of backpackers are thrown together on a bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap, Cambodia, they have no idea of the journey ahead of them.

Shortly after crossing the Cambodian border, one of the group disappears off the side of the road, and they quickly discover they have more than the threat of land mines to worry about. They are plunged into a terrifying world of ancient temples, curses and long-dead kings and, one by one, they start to lose both their minds and their lives, as what was supposed to be an adventure turns into a fight for survival.

I'm often asked if I've ever been to Cambodia, and the answer is yes. I was lucky enough to spend three months backpacking around South East Asia and the idea for the novel came to me while I was on the same bus journey my characters take. Luckily my journey wasn't quite as horrific as theirs turns out to be, but it was pretty nerve wracking just the same!

For all you vampire fans out there, Alone is now free to download, for a limited time only. So head over to http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9972 and download your copy!

Also, for anyone who comes and likes my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/marissa.farrar.author they can also get a voucher code to get my short story collection for free as well!

Thanks for having me, Patricia!

CONTEST

I'd like to give away one copy of The Dark Road to one lucky commenter, and you can buy the novel at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/30776.



*Readers, leave a comment on this post for a chance to win. 

*Contest is international. 
*Contest ends Jan. 28, 2011 at 11:59pm EST