Run Devil Run, A Paranormal Anthology

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Run Devil Run: A Paranormal Anthology is written by Mari Freeman, Rachel Carrington, Susan DiPlacido, Valerie Mann and Becca Dale. The stories are inspired by the lyrics and music of the LA-based band, Run Devil Run, and the band also served as cover models for the books. The project, the brain-child of Decadent Co-owner Heather Bennett, has been called ‘inventive’, ‘ground breaking’, and ‘a cutting edge take on multi-media marketing’ by online news outlets. The stories themselves are receiving 4 and 5-star reviews. The band made a splash at the annual RT Booklovers Convention in LA this year when Decadent hired a party bus to take conventioneers to The Viper Room for a special show. Now, two of the authors stop by to tell us more about the project and the stories they penned for it.

Becca Dale: Hi Rachel. I must start by saying how disappointed I was that you could not make it to the Romantic Times Convention in LA. It was great to meet the band members from Run Devil Run and a couple of the cooperating authors from the Run Devil Run Anthology along with so many readers and fellow Decadent Publishing authors and editors. I would have loved to meet you in person, as well.

Rachel Carrington: Hi, Becca. I’m so excited for the chance to talk with you, too, and to learn more about you and your Decadent Publishing story for the RDR Anthology, Can’t Stop Me, which I loved, by the way. Would you tell our guests a bit about it?

BD: Well, if you twist my arm I suppose I can. I am glad you enjoyed Kern and Luca’s story. Can’t Stop Me is a tale of good versus evil and fate over free will. It has unexpected situations, demons, angels, saints and ordinary people all caught up in a fight with prophecy. Can’t Stop Me is unique in the Run Devil Run Anthology in that it was not released prior to the print version. Until June 17^th, (Today in fact—whoo hoo!) it was only available in print format. Now, like the other stories, readers can download it individually, but if someone would like to get all five stories at once, the print version is still the way to go.

RC: I agree, five at once is a good thing. Like most of the stories, Can’t Stop Me was based upon the lyrics for one of Run Devil Run’s songs. How difficult was it to write a book suited to those lyrics?

BD: I really expected it to be more difficult than it was, but as I read and reread the band’s lyrics, the story seemed to write itself. The idea of voices in someone’s head being alleviated by someone else was the launching point followed by the notion that together this seemingly harmless couple could stand against enormous odds. My greatest struggle with this story was my fear that I might not meet the band’s and the publisher’s expectations as it was the first time I have ever written something that would impact others. How did Share Your Soul come about for you? Since the stories all feed off of the band’s songs to some extent or another was using someone else’s creativity as a launching point demanding or inspiring, and was there anything you found particularly difficult in the challenge?

RC: Actually, I had already started Share Your Soul when I was approached by Heather at Decadent Publishing. In a surprising coincidence, the song lyrics for “Go” by Run Devil Run just happened to fit with the book. So I think I was very fortunate as it’s always difficult to use someone else creativity at the starting point. I’ve done that a couple of times before in other anthologies, and it was tough. On the other hand, though, doing different things forces you to think outside the box and stretches your creative muscle.

Becca Dale: Very good point. Without challenge inspiration can fade. What usually gets your creative juices flowing?

Rachel Carrington: Fortunately, my creative juices are always flowing. Most of the time, I start books with a minimalistic plot because I only have the first two or three lines in mind. The books I have laboriously plotted out I’ve gotten bored with very quickly. So I think I’ve learned to go with what works for me.

BD: Speaking of first lines, I adored Share Your Soul from the first line: Five years ago today my husband killed me. Not exactly the type of anniversary to celebrate. You sucked me in with this compelling opening. Rumor has it that you intend to make Share Your Soul into a series. That sounds intriguing. Can you reveal your plans or are they top secret?

RC: No secret here. There are a total of three books in the series, all three of which are now completed. Unite our Souls is the second installment, and it tells Grayson’s story. Grayson is Gabriel’s brother, and once I’d introduced a bit of his back story in Share Your Soul, I had the urge to tell his story. I then introduced another character in Unite Our Souls who becomes the lead character in Mine to Take. Unite Our Souls releases in September of this year, but I’m not sure about Mine to Take. How about you, Becca? Any plans for a sequel to Luca and Kernan’s story? Or maybe a series?

BD: I can’t wait for Grayson’s story. He touched my heart in Share Your Soul so I am glad to hear he will get a voice. Sadly, I don’t have any plans for a sequel to Can’t Stop Me. Once I have told someone’s story, I have a hard time revisiting it. I did really enjoy writing about Kern and Luca, though.

RC: I can imagine Luca was a challenge. Though your heroine is blind in the story, you didn’t present her as disabled. In fact, she came across as a very strong, determined woman. Was this your first time writing a character with a disability? Is it something you would do again?

BD: It was my first attempt at something like this, but I would love to try it again because it kept me on my toes. Even the smallest things like going to the bathroom in a strange place on her own or reaching up to kiss Kern had to be worked out with Luca’s disability in mind. I constantly had to remind myself that she could not see, but I loved how strong she turned out.

Well-developed characters are invaluable in my mind. Here is the description of your hero from Share Your Soul. I’ve always had a fondness for rock stars, the kind who look like they could be bad in a good way. And this man had that going for him. Long, dark hair secured at the nape of his neck, tall, and borderline gorgeous. I say borderline because he did have a scar that ran down his right cheek, but that really only added to the dangerous aspect.

Your image of Gabriel made me smile and the image came back to me in a huge way when I met the band members. Except for the scar part, you could have been describing any of them. Had you seen Jeremy (the band member on your cover) beforehand, or were the similarities coincidental.

RC: I hadn’t met any of them beforehand, and when I originally started writing Share Your Soul, Gabriel had short, black hair. I changed the description to better fit with Jeremy’s looks. Not that it was too much of a hardship. 

BD: I hear you there. Jeremy is a cutie and his personality is equally adorable. Jackie Joyride—the cover model for mine and Valerie Mann’s stories—was a doll, as well. I wasn’t sure if I should adopt them both or convince them to let me be their cougar for the week (Kidding boys – maybe). So, now that we have heard about the background for your characters a bit, any excerpts or blurbs you would like to share with readers today?

RC: Sure, this is the blurb for Unite our Souls.

A sexy Angel of Death had to tell me I was dead. But he wasn’t there to offer comfort. He was there to take me to the other side. Wherever that is. I wasn’t ready to go, though. My nephew, Joey, needed my bone marrow if he was going to survive, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to give it to him now that I was dead.

Grayson, the angel, told me he’d help but then I’d have to cross over. I certainly didn’t expect to fall for the one being that intended to hustle me across the mortal realm. I don’t think he expected to fall, either. You’d think that would be difficult enough, but the real trouble began when I discovered his ‘help’ came at a price…or a punishment, rather. He’d broken a rule, and for that, he would suffer if I couldn’t stop it.

So here I am in love with the Angel of Death, trying to save my nephew’s life, and wondering what exactly happens on this other side Grayson talks about. And learning more and more that I didn’t want to leave my angel any more than I wanted to stay dead. Sometimes, though, life just doesn’t give you choices.

Can you share a blurb from Can’t Stop Me, Becca. I hear it is available as an individual purchase for the first time today.

BD: Oh that’s right. I had almost forgotten that Can’t Stop Me is available today from Decadent Publishing. Okay, maybe I didn’t really forget, but here is the blurb. Pop by Decadent’s site if you would like to know more.

Prophecy proclaims a child of three worlds will lead the strong one to victory. Threatened by the church since birth and imprisoned by Lucifer’s elite force for over five years, Kernan Malanous represents demons, angels, and mankind, but who will be the strong one—God, Lucifer, or someone intent on overthrowing them both?

Born the blind daughter of the greatest mediums in history, Luca Alexander sees more than anyone suspects. Screams of the damned slash at her sanity as demonic visitors hide a stranger in her home. To quiet the horror echoing from the underworld, she seeks the prisoner’s soothing thoughts, offering him peace while finding her own.

When the devil’s top gun comes to reclaim his prize, Luca risks her life to liberate the pure soul in her attic, but Kern won’t leave his beautiful innocent at the mercy of the merciless. Desperate, the young couple flees with hell on their heels. Unrestricted for the first time in their lives, Luca and Kern discover rare joy in one another, but all good has its counterpart. Torn between personal peril and world-wide destruction, will the young lovers run from fate or take a stand to fight and live as free beings?

RC: I told you I like this story. So if people want to learn more about the book they can go to Decadent Publishing’s site. What if they want to know more about you, Becca?

BD: Readers can find me at  HERE or  HERE or on and I am on

So as you can see I am easy…um…easy to reach anyway. I would love to hear from readers. Where can people contact you, Rachel?

RC: I can be found on the web and on . I post on Facebook often as I’m quite addicted, and I am on Twitter, too, though not as much. You can find me on

Thank you for letting me help your readers get to know you a little better, Becca! Congratulations on the release of Can’t Stop Me.

BD: Well, I thank you, Rachel for taking the time to answer my questions. It was great getting to know a bit more about you and your upcoming series. I look forward to the day we can do this in person.

Question for readers: What paranormal genre is your favorite to read? Is it vamps or ‘weres, or so you prefer something totally different like ghosts, zombies, or angels?

2 Books on the House readers who ENTER TO WIN will each win 1 e-copy of the Run Devil Run anthology!

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