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PARANORMAL ROMANCE AUTHOR

SPOTLIGHT ON:

Denise D. Young

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All About Denise D. Young:

Equal parts bookworm, flower child, and eclectic witch, Denise D. Young writes fantasy and paranormal romance featuring witches, magic, faeries, and the occasional shifter.

Whatever the flavor of the magic, it’s always served with a brisk cup of tea–and the promise of romance varying from sweet to sensual.

She lives with her husband and their animals in the mountains of Virginia, where small towns and tall trees inspire her stories. She reads tarot cards, collects crystals, gazes at stars, and believes magic is the answer (no matter what the question was).

If you’ve ever hoped to find a book of spells in a dusty attic, if you suspect every misty forest contains a hidden portal to another realm, or if you don’t mind a little darkness before your happily-ever-after, her books might be just the thing you’ve been waiting for.

Tangled Fates

Release Date:

May 5, 2020

Publisher:

Sage & Shadows Books

Cover Design:

Victoria Cooper Art

Welcome Denise to Jeny's TattleTales

What is the most inspirational thing you’ve ever done in your life?

Honestly, traveled. There are so many places I have yet to see. I’m sort of boundlessly curious (I suspect I asked why a lot as a child).

Some of my favorites so far: Hiking in the shade of trees in the Black Forest in Germany, where the Brothers Grimm collected so many of our treasured fairy tales or walking the streets of Paris.

But there are adventures closer to home, too! My hubby and I once visited the UFO museum in Roswell, New Mexico. I’ve stood beside Walden Pond and in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s home, and toured the house that inspired Nathanial Hawthorne’s The House of Seven Gables.

Everywhere I’ve been, I’m touched by history. I’m in awe of how connected all of our lives are, and of the feats of those who’ve come before me.

I totally understand what you mean. Especially when you're standing in or next to history! So, what actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie?

Aiden: Ian Somerhalder. Aiden’s got this quiet, intense, scholarly vibe but is also a really gentle, thoughtful guy. I totally think Ian Somerhalder (of Vampire Diaries fame) could rock that.

Vivienne: Rose Leslie. I definitely think Rose Leslie could capture the depth of Vivienne’s magic. She’s always known she was a witch, but is exploring this other, newfound side to her magic, and she’s both drawn to it and hesitant at the same time. I loved Leslie as Ygritte on Game of Thrones and think she could capture the complexity of Vi’s character.

FANTASTIC CHOICES! What genre have you never written that you’d like to write? Why?

Paranormal cozy mystery. Aside from paranormal romance and fantasy, cozy mysteries are some of my favorite books to read. But I’ve avoided writing in the genre because I’m a discovery/intuitive writer, not a plotter, and I feel like mysteries require a lot of advanced outlining, plotting and planning and such.

I’ll probably try it one of these days, though. I have too many story ideas swirling inside of my head to not try my hand at some different genres!

I think you might be right about mysteries and plotting. What inspires you? In your life? In your work?

I’m a practicing witch, and a lot of what feeds my soul also feeds my inspiration for my books. Those can be obvious witchy things, like lore or mythology related to the fae or goddesses/gods, tarot cards, crystal symbolism, plant/herbal magic, etc. But there are plenty of less obvious places I find the magic that feeds not only my writing but also my witchcraft practice: listening to a thunderstorm, tending my garden, steeping a cup of tea, creating a new recipe, listening to music or to birdsong.

Basically, I find magic all around me. And that connection to magic is my greatest source of inspiration in my life and my writing!

Wow! Do you have a favorite quote?

“Daring greatly is not about winning or losing. It’s about courage. … Nothing is as uncomfortable, dangerous, and hurtful as believing that I’m standing on the outside of my life looking in and wondering what it would be like if I had the courage to show up and let myself be seen.” –Brene Brown

People are always saying we need to “punch fear in the face,” and I disagree. Especially for those of us who struggle with anxiety, no. You don’t “defeat” your fear. You acknowledge it, and you say, “my desire to do this thing is bigger than my fear,” and you push forward.

I’m not exactly a thrill-seeker, but I’ve done my share of finding the courage to move forward despite fear: finding the courage to press publish on my books and forge my own path as an indie author sometimes still scares the crap out of me, but I move forward. The first time I went to a country where I didn’t speak the language, that was scary, but I got to have these amazing experiences (such as climbing to the ruins of an old, long-abandoned castle, looking down on this sleepy little village that was straight of out a fairytale).

I think of this often. I don’t want to get to the end of my life and realize I let fear stop me from pursuing a dream, of being real and authentic, of living the life I’ve chosen instead of what I thought others expected of me.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

On the surface, my books are about magic, witches, the fae, the paranormal, the otherworldy. You might meet a fox shifter. You might see a witch shuffling her tarot deck. You might see the fae dancing in a moonlit glen. There will be kisses (and often more) and a happily ever after.

But the message is this: We are not broken. We can all find our path toward healing. Whether we’ve made mistakes or been let down by others, we can embrace our power and find a sense of renewal. And, no matter how outcast or lonely we may feel, there are people just as weird and wonderful, just as eccentric and lovely, as us, waiting to welcome us with open hearts, open arms, and open minds.

Fantastic! Finally, what would you most like to say to your readers?

Thank you!

Samuel Johnson said “A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it.” And there is so much truth in that. Every time you pick up a writer’s book, every time you turn the page, I hope you know how grateful we are for that.

Tangled Fates
Blurb & Excerpt

A fire witch. A fox shifter. Brought together to battle a sinister magic.

Are we destined for love? Or fated to be drawn apart?

My name is Vivienne “Vi” Gearhart, and I’m a witch by birth. My life isn’t just teacups and tarot cards these days. As mystical storms rumble overhead and a dark curse stalks my coven, my inner witch knows change is coming.

Then a fox shifter named Aiden McPherson knocks on my door—asking questions, stirring emotions, and rousing desires I hadn’t expected.

Can we unravel the secrets of our own magicks—and find a way to break the curse that has sunk its teeth into the coven?

The Tangled Magic Series continues in Vi and Aiden’s story, the second book in this series featuring witchy magic, small-town charm, and all the paranormal romance a reader could ask for!

Excerpt 1

Aiden was so tall that his dark hair nearly brushed the top of the doorframe. His build was athletic, but lean, and an image of him running through an emerald green forest under a silver moon flickered through my imagination.

He smiled at me. “Aiden McPherson. Sorry about startling you.”

“I…” My mind blanked. “Hi.”

His smile turned into this soft sort of smile—kind of dopey but sexy at the same time, with a little hidden mischief twinkling in those molten amber eyes—and all I knew was that I was staring up at him like some lovestruck middle-schooler fangirling over a celebrity crush. Despite his navy-blue “born to run” t-shirt and tattered jeans, he reminded me of a professor in the making, the sort of man who’d teach anthropology in casual attire while his female students swooned.

He offered his hand. I shook off the brain fog and took his hand. His fingers were long and slender, his palms broad and square shaped. The fire magic I kept tucked away crackled in my veins as we briefly shook hands.

Afterward, he turned away, rubbing his palms together, and faced Nick.

But the fire inside of me didn’t retreat.

Excerpt 2

The owl tilted her head, her eyes like twin memories of shadow, deep with knowing. My fire magic sang under my skin, filling me with warmth.

She gave one last hoo and, with a stretching and rustling of her wings, alighted, disappearing into the misty night.

 

“From out of mist are wild things born.

Seek the truth beyond the thorn.

Where curses lurk and kin reside,

Fox and fire stem the tide.”

 

The words tumbled from my mouth. I hadn’t a clue what they meant, but I fumbled around inside my tote bag until I found a scrap of paper and a pen and scrawled them down.

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Jeny's TattleTales

Dogs or Cats? Both!

The number of books you’ve written? 3 (2 full-length, and 1 short story). Book 3 in the Witches of Willow Creek: Tangled Magic Series, Tangled Souls, is coming out later this year!

Name three things you see when you look right. My 17-year-old cat, Tigger, curled up asleep, Blankets. There are blankets everywhere in my house. I am really into a cozy living! My journal. I always keep it nearby.

What’s the best swag item you’ve ever seen? Katey Hawthorne gave away bath bombs once and that was awesome.

What is your most attractive feature? I almost always have an extra hair tie. Wait, you mean physical? My eyes. They seem to change colors depending on the environment and what I’m wearing.

Cook, baker, or next question? Bit of both: A dabbler in all things kitchen-related.

Place you’d like to visit: Scotland

If a movie was made about your life, who would you want to play you? Felicia Day

What song best sums you up? Calling the Moon by Dar Williams

Describe yourself in three words: Mystical, Thoughtful, Creative

If we were here when the earth began would you be a hunter or a gatherer? Gatherer

Coffee or tea? Coffee in the morning, tea in the evening.

Spring, Summer, Fall Winter? Autumn. Hands down.

Mac or PC? Mac, but I’m currently using a PC.

What is your favorite thing to learn about in your free time? Gardening, healing herbs, edible flowers, herbalism in general. (See why I said, gatherer?)

You have a time travel machine. Where and when? San Francisco. 1967.

Are you earth, wind, fire, or water? Fire (Sagittarius with Aries rising), but I strive for balance in all things.

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