Meet My Character -- Clementine Sherwood and the Cabinet Seance

Welcome to Meet My Character! – the author blog tour where you get to learn something about a character in one of my latest or upcoming novels, as well as characters in books of other authors. It’s a veritable smorgasbord of characters but without the indigestion.

Thanks to Scott Browne, author of my favorite zombie novel Breathers, for the tagging. Please visit his blog to see what he's working on and load up on his novels.

I totally beat him

1.) What is the name of your character? 

Clementine Sherwood. 

2.) Is he/she fictional or a historic person? 

She is fictional, but she interacts with some well-known spiritualists and charlatans. 

3.) When and where is the story set? 

1890s New York state.

4.) What should we know about him/her? 

She sees things. Terrible things. She's the real talent behind her brothers' magic act but keeps away from the spotlight. 

5.) What is the main conflict? What messes up her life? 

Clementine has been singled out for her talents by a murderer who wants to change the past. If she's unable to fulfill her end of the deadly bargain, she's next. Detective Bennet Manning is enlisted to catch the murderer but he has his own secrets to hide. 

6.) What is the personal goal of the character? 

Not to die. #aimhigh 

7.) Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it? 

The working title is Something Wicked and it is still a work in progress.

8.) When can we expect the book to be published or when was it published?

I hope to be finished Something Wicked by early next year and edited by next summer. Then it's off to the races!

Oh, what the heck. Here's a little taste of Something Wicked--

Clementine looked on, quietly absorbing the energy around her. Her family started to clean up the mess of boxes and bags, containing the scarves and rope tricks – staples in the magic business. Grabbing the delicate stem of a candlesnuffer, Clementine crossed the worn stage to extinguish the wax candles embraced by candelabras flanking the chairs and tables they had set up as props. As the melting wax dripped over the sturdy holders, her gaze held the flicker of the delicate light. Without warning, cold air swept up from the floor and circled the young woman, enveloping her within a silent whirlwind of emotion and energy. Closing her eyes, Clementine felt the familiar rush of whispers and faint touches. The memories of a hundred years rushed forward. No longer afraid of the hurried movements out of the corner of her eye, Clementine waited until they stopped moving long enough to hear their voices. 

So many of them trapped within this theater. The children left behind in a fire, not quick enough to get through the door before it slammed shut and trapped them -- their mothers never knowing they had snuck out to see the comedians and only aware once they were called to identify the bodies of the boys. The cries of the ghosts echoed within the walls of the old theater, climbing to the golden arches and reverberating against the faded paint, flecked with age and smoke. No matter how often they scrubbed, the management could never erase the look of horror that had appeared on the faces of the painted images high on the walls. Their eyes reflecting the terror of the night never forgotten.

Clementine waited for the quick, jerky movements to stop before she entered further into her dream state. Confusion often accompanied the spirits, some worse than others. The smaller children rushed in first, always grabbing and sobbing with their hands clutching at her dress in frantic motions and forever breaking her heart. Clementine spoke to them, comforting where she could and helping others to move on. The boys of the theater approached her as one; defiant and scared, their strength lay in numbers. She braced herself for their questions, she had seen this too many times before. Some spirits were bullies, these boys believed they had the power to manipulate minds and delighted in playing tricks on the theatergoers. A slap from one phantom hand to the cheek of a man set him upon his neighbor, their rumble only exciting the dull lives of the children.

“You can hear us, can’t you?” A boy of twelve asked Clementine. His face dirty with phantom soot, he rubbed his nose against the ragged sleeve of his black-marked jacket, the material pulling back to reveal what was once a fleshy arm but now only bone with bits of charred skin clinging to it.

“Yes, I can hear you.” Clementine answered. She had spent her life chatting with ghosts in various stages of decay, a bone was old hat compared to some of the others.

“Tell my mom I’m hungry, would ya? This place ain’t got nothin’ but peanuts and I hate nuts!” The boys cackled, their mothers having passed on years before, crying on their deathbeds for their lost sons. Fading back into the candlelight, Clementine knew she could not help them move on, their young souls were lost to the night.

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Who's next in the blog tour? Check these bad boys out on September 22nd:

Melanie Hooyenga first started writing as a teenager and finds she still relates best to that age group. Her young-adult novel, FLICKER, debuted in November 2012, and the sequel, FRACTURE, released in June 2014.

She has lived in Washington DC, Chicago, and Mexico, but has finally settled down in her home state of Michigan with her husband Jeremy. When not at her day job as a graphic designer, you can find Melanie attempting to wrangle her Miniature Schnauzer Owen and playing every sport imaginable with Jeremy.

You can learn more about Melanie on her website and at her author Facebook page. Mel's Meet My Character blog post go live on the 22nd here!
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Alyssa Goodnight is the author of Austentatious and Austensibly Ordinary. She lives between Houston and Galveston with her husband, two sons, and rescue dogs Indiana Jones and Short Round.  She neither likes piña coladas nor getting caught in the rain.
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Since a young age Fletcher has been a fan of all things dark - Stephen King came after Dick & Jane in Fletcher's reading history. Thanks in part to one of King's novels, Fletcher was kicked out of a Seventh Day Adventist school.

J.E. has been married to her best friend since 2000. They have five children together, six when Fletcher's adult child is added to the mix. 2014 saw the addition of a granddaughter.

J.E. Fletcher resides in rural New York state. She enjoys writing fantasy, horror, and science fiction. She is currently working on her newest novel, Blood Burn, which is available for pre-order now. Read her Meet My Character post on her blog!

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Kasey Lane
I write erotic contemporary and new adult romance with musical and sports themes, hints of kink, hot guys with ink and always a Happily Ever After. During the day I’m the co-founder and the Director of Marketing at a growing manufacturing company. After years in the business world, I decided to pursue my dream of becoming a romance author and started writing the types of stories I love to read – spicy, romantic, and edgy.