Interview & Giveaway: Seeing Ghosts by James Garcia Jr.

Seeing Ghosts

Seeing Ghosts
James Garcia Jr.

Genre: Paranormal

Date of Publication: May 10, 2013

Number of pages: 147
Word Count: 76,303

Cover Artist: Maria Zannini

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon

Paul Herrera finds himself bequeathed a mysterious old house near the California central coast by a deceased aunt he never knew. The woman who shows it to him is the spitting image of his wife, taken from him three years before in a senseless car accident which also took his unborn son.

While he deals with the ghosts of a past he cannot let go, there are new ghosts Paul must deal with - alone for the week in the expansive two-story house that he will soon discover holds many secrets.

Eventually, he will see that he is surrounded by ghosts as he struggles to hold onto the only thing that he has left in this world - his sanity.

Excerpt: 

I frowned, stumped. It was unlike me to lose track of anything. I could count on one hand the things that I’d misplaced in life. I even turned on the light and checked beneath the bed, but it simply was nowhere to be found. Mentally, I retraced my steps, trying to recall the last time I’d had it.

Then it hit me.

“On, no.” I stifled a cry by covering my mouth. “Holy shit!”

The last time I had the Kindle was when I had been sitting on the porch and Patricia and Flora found me asleep.

Defeated, I walked down the stairs and headed for the vestibule. A very big part of me thought to leave it there until morning. Another part of me wanted to simply let Flora have it as some sort of peace offering. Scared as hell, I really wanted no part of opening that front door again until the sun was at its highest in the blue coastal sky. I could hear the whipping wind once again.

I found Paul at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for me.

“Did you lose it?” he asked. He must’ve seen the expression on my face.

“No,” I replied. I sat down on the second to last step. “But I just remembered I left it outside.”

“On, no,” he said, sitting down beside me. “What are we gonna do?”

I glanced over at the boy. He looked up at me with those questioning eyes of his and I felt a burst of courage surge through me.

“I guess I’m gonna have to go get it.”

“Are you sure?” he asked. He didn’t seem to want me going outside anymore than I wanted to.

“Yeah, but I’m not going that far. If it isn’t on the porch, I’m coming right back inside. Okay?”

The boy nodded, but said nothing.

“You stay here.”

In spite of what it would feel like, I reached over and patted the boy on the back. Sure enough, a spike of cold drove itself through me with each pat. I only did it twice, and then instantly regretted it. I stood, walked into the hall and then turned into the vestibule. Lingering at the door, I listened for long moments before even taking the doorknob into my hand. The wind sounded angry, but it came in spurts. It would appear and slowly build to a kind of roar, and then it would dissipate for a time before starting again.

Gingerly, I turned the knob and pulled. I braced my left knee against the door, in a manner of preparing for someone or something to attempt to rush me and gain access. I peeked through the tiniest of gaps in the door and glanced about. There wasn’t much moon, so I had to wait quite a while before my eyes adjusted to the dark. When they finally did, I opened the door a little more.

The overturned bench still lay where Flora had thrown both it and me much earlier the previous evening, but I could see no further. I stuck my head out into the night air and quickly checked behind me. As I opened the door just a bit more to accommodate this, something fell. I couldn’t stifle a surprised cry and a curse. I looked down.

My missing Kindle. It had been left for me, propped up against the door. Perhaps it was to be a peace offering after all.

I knelt down and retrieved the device. I slid the switch on and a moment later, it came to life. Cool to the touch after having sat outside, it appeared none the worse for wear. As I prepared to rise back to my feet, the wind started again. I looked up just in time to see it and realized—it was no wind at all, but a man. One no longer the man he’d once been. He glowed white and ran past the front of the porch. Beyond him in the yard were more just like him. I dropped the Kindle.

They were all shapes and sizes of ghosts. Men, women and children, even the occasional dog and cat. One of the dogs was barking and it sounded familiar. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to be looking for me this time. They all seemed to ignore me and one another. They just ran. Some waved their arms. A few stomped about like zombies. From the expressions on their faces, none were at rest. This was a horror among horrors.

I sat down there and watched the pain as it unfolded about me, frozen by it. Somehow it felt as if I’d just survived a plane crash that had killed everyone else and my brain was short-circuiting because it was simply too much to fathom.

“They’re so sad,” a voice said beside me on the left. I nodded, but couldn’t pull my eyes from the dead. “This is because of the bad lady,” Paul announced. He stood beside me in the doorway. Mercifully, he didn’t touch me. It might have been the last straw that, once removed, would make the whole construct that was me crumble towards nothingness.

“Yes,” I said, finding my voice.

“We must do something to stop her.”

I turned at this and looked upon the boy standing there before me, who stared past me at the scene in the yard. Interesting to behold—he was very young, but unafraid. Glancing down at me, he nodded as if resigned to some duty.

“We must,” he said. I felt very proud of him at that moment for some crazy reason. I recall shaking my head in astonishment.

Interview: 
Today, we welcome James Garcia Jr. to Musings and Ramblings. Let's all give him a big Geeky welcome!

I have some questions for you that are writer specific as well as some fun stuff so that we can really get to know the real you. *grin* Plus we will finish things off with round of Think Fast. Ready to begin?

Writing Specific
1. Tell us something about yourself that's not in your bio.

I would shrivel up and die in days if I didn’t have music around me. I’ve either got my iPod on or I’m singing to myself, but there’s got to be music!

2. What do you like to do when you are not writing?

My work schedule at the day job is so long (11 hours) that I write very little throughout the year, taking on a project only every year and a half or so. More likely you’ll find me networking every day. When I’m not doing that, you’ll find me curled up on the couch, watching a movie.

3. How did you choose the genres you write in?

I discovered horror books while in junior high and I couldn’t put them down. I like smart horror that makes you think. I’m more of a Silence of the Lambs kind of guy than Texas Chainsaw Massacre. That’s what I like, so that’s what I write - so far, anyway.

4. Is there any particular author or book that has influenced you or your writing?

For a guy who writes horror, one would think that I would mention King, Barker, etc.; however, it is Pat Conroy and his brilliant novel Beach Music that continues to inspire me to improve. If I could write half as well as him, I would die a happy man.

5. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

You know, I think I’ve been very lucky so far and haven’t received too tough a review. The folks who didn’t care for the writing just said it really wasn’t for them. The readers on the other side of the spectrum seem to really enjoy the ride. It’s been very encouraging.

Fun Stuff
6. If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, fictional or real, who would it be and why?

Hmm? The last time I answered this question I chose a famous and aging actor. Today I’m thinking altogether differently. What I really want to do is share a meal and a drink with other indie writers that I have come to know over the years. I have yet to have this pleasure and look forward to meeting the people I’ve only known through social media. Especially in the writer community. Everyone has been so supportive and encouraging. I can’t wait to chat away several hours just sharing and listening to other writers.

7. You are going to be stranded on a deserted island and bring 3 luxury items. What would they be?

My Ipod, my Kindle and my iPhone. I don’t know how I’ll be charging them, but I never get too far away from them.

8. Pick two celebrities to be your parents. Who are they and why?

Wow! Great question! Didn’t see that one coming… Hmm? How about Shannon Tweed and Gene Simmons. I could quit my day job and write as much as I wanted. I would never have to worry about money. I think I surprised even myself with that answer. *laughs*

9. What would we find in your refrigerator right now?

Well, you wouldn’t find beer and wine because I sadly find myself out of both. *sigh* There’s coffee in there for the mornings. It’s a little lean right now because we haven’t done any shopping in a while. Hopefully when we do there’ll be beer and wine. ;)

10. If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?

The Man’s Wife is a Saint. Seriously! My wife has really put up with a lot, me being married to my laptop and all these past five years. I’ve recently begun to back off as I attempt to locate that elusive sense of balance that we indie writers struggle with. We writers really are certifiable the way we try and juggle so much. We’re all crazy! Lol!

Think Fast
Summer or Winter? Winter! I hate summer!
Coffee or Tea? Coffee… Now, if that was Long Island Iced Tea, you’d have a much different answer. ☺
Cake or Pie? Pie.
Car or Truck? Truck! I have to sit high now. I don’t like feeling like I’m lying on the road when I drive.
Print or Electronic? Electronic! You just can’t beat the convenience.

Thanks for coming by and spending some time with us. Any final words of wisdom to pass along?

*laughs* No. I’m still searching for wisdom myself. I do want to thank you so much for having me, Judith. I really appreciate you and your peeps taking the time to get to know me a little bit.

Giveaway: 

The author has provided me with 1 Kindle copy of Seeing Ghosts to giveaway.  

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Book Tour Info: 
Don't forget to check out the other stops on the Book Tour:

July 1:
Urban Fantasy Investigations - Guest Blog

July 2:
Vanessa Morgan - Guest Blog
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July 3:
Faerie Tale Books - Review

July 4:
Butterfly-o-Meter Books - Guest Blog

July 5:
Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews - Interview

July 9:
Reader Girls - Guest Blog
My Book Addiction - Review

July 10:
Elfie Books

July 12:
Paranormal Book club - Interview
Mythical Books

July 15:
JeanzBookReadNReview - Interview

July 16:
Seraphine Muse - Review
A Chick Reading - Interview & Review

July 17:
Escape Into A Book - Guest Blog & Review
Cabin Goddess.. - Review

July 18:
Musings and Ramblings - Interview
Shut Up & Read - Review

July 19:
Christina McKnight - Guest Blog

July 22:
Paranormal Romance Fan for Life - Interview

July 23:
Mom With A Kindle
The Next Chapter - Review

July 24:
So Much To Write So Little Time - Guest Blog

July 25:
Spiced Latte Reads

July 26:
Krystal's Enchanting Reads ...

July 29:
Pembroke Sinclair - Interview

July 30:
Gimme The Scoop Reviews - Review

July 31:
Cover Reveals
Brooke Blogs - Review



Author Bio:

James Garcia Jr. was born in the Central California town of Hanford. He moved up the road to Kingsburg with his family as a child. After graduating KHS, he attended Reedley College where he met his wife. They, along with their teenage sons, still make their home in Kingsburg which is also the setting of James’ vampire series. Dance on Fire was published in 2010 and its sequel Flash Point was published Halloween 2012. His third book entitled, Seeing Ghosts, a stand-alone paranormal romance is set for a June 2013 release.

James is an Administrative Supervisor for Sun-Maid Growers of California.
To connect with the author online:

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