Showcase: Sheltered by Debra Chapoton

Debra's Bio:  Debra Chapoton has taught kids of all ages in her main career as a teacher. She has a BA in Spanish and a Master of Arts degree in Teaching English. She started writing in 2002 and was surprised to find out that the characters quickly take over the action and dialogue in the stories.

Her first YA novel, Edge of Escape, was self-published and then discovered by Piper Verlag Publishing and translated into German. Stalking and obsession get a sympathetic twist in this story of physical and psychological survival.

Her second YA novel, Sheltered, detours into a different genre as she writes about five teens who confront supernatural forces. Two boys and three girls all harbor secrets which make some of them susceptible to demon possession. Embracing all things supernatural might protect them, but are they ready for the consequences?

Chapoton has also written eleven chapter books for middle grade kids and a non-fiction work for adults, Crossing the Scriptures.

When she’s not writing Chapoton enjoys the quiet of the full log home she designed and built with her husband. They live in the middle of 62 acres of beautiful woods in northern Michigan.

Websites: www.edgeofescape.blogspot.com * www.bigpinelodgebooks.com

Sheltered:  Living together unsupervised, five troubled teens confront demonic forces and are compelled to deal with their problems in distinctly different ways. Paranormal meets psycho meets Goth in this story of a supernatural haunting and budding love.

High school junior, Ben, hacks into his step-father's real estate holdings and provides rooms in an old two-story house to various outcasts: the schizophrenic kid, the angry Goth girl, and the homeless girl who worships him. When Megan needs a place to live she comes to the rooming house with a different set of problems and the ability to confuse and attract Ben.

One by one strange and mysterious occurrences stretch the teens’ beliefs in the supernatural. How they deal with demons, real and imagined, has tragic as well as redeeming consequences.

Prologue

Next Wednesday

Emily knew the precise moment that Ben returned, she felt him in her scars. She watched him carry some things to the house, heard the door close; she smiled when she heard him call out that Santa was here. He did that once before, in early December, insisting that she accept the gift he held out, not wanting her to wait until Christmas to use the mittens he knew she needed.

She went toward her door now, wondered what he had brought, and then heard Megan’s voice below. Oh no, he probably brought something for her. She scuttled back to her nest by the window and stared outside, was still staring fifteen minutes later when she saw them walk down the street, Ben shouldering a shovel, his other hand knotted with Megan’s.

She touched the skin on her arms, lightly at first, making it tingle. The image of Ben with Megan multiplied across her mind in broken mirrors, a repugnant picture that reflected her own self-loathing. She scratched at her scabs, felt the pricks of pain force away the ticklish sensations. She closed her eyes.

When she opened them she saw a figure standing at her door.

“Who–?” she started, but the figment waned to less than a shadow. Still, though, there was something at her door.

She rose slowly and held her hand out.

Its face was more womanly now, friendly, motherly. Yes, she knew this face. Its pearly white skin so shocking against the ruby lips, the stringy hair a match to her own. Her mother.

She stretched her fingers toward the face. The hallucination faded then sharpened. The eyes began to blaze. She drew her hands back to her own face. What’s wrong with me?  The delusion grieved Emily; all around her fluttered a longing.

And a deadly fear.

Q.  What inspires your writing?

That is a big mystery. I think it is connected to the same things that inspire the crazy dreams I have when I’m asleep. Truthfully I think it is a God given gift.

Q.  What is your favorite thing about being an author?

I love the creative aspect of molding imaginary people and events. My favorite thing is that those people and events change directions on their own and entertain me.

Q.  What is the toughest part of being an author?

The toughest part is not finding enough time to write.

Q.  If you could not be author, what would you do/be?

I would teach Spanish or design log homes.

Q.  What would the story of your life be entitled?

Happy Chappy

Q.  What is your favorite book of all time?

The Bible

Q.  Which character from ANY book are you most like?

Wow, that’s one of the hardest questions I’ve ever been asked. [thinking, thinking] Um, [wondering if Pollyanna was a book or just a movie] I guess I’d have to say Katniss.

Q.  What character from all of your books are you most like?

A. I am most like Rebecca from “Edge of Escape”. She’s a victim, but she fights through a lot of mistakes.

What is your favorite season?

A. Summer!

Q.  What inspired your book cover(s)?  Or what is your favorite book cover and why?

For “Sheltered” I wanted to have a house that looked like the one described in the book, but had a creepy, haunted quality to it.

Q.  Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book.

Well, last year I was on tour with “Edge of Escape” when a publisher from Germany contacted me. Long story short: former Spanish teacher’s first book was printed in German before English.

Q.  Are you working on something new?

I’m working on final edits for “The Guardian’s Diary” which is about a teen boy who was born with a gruesome deformity and faces amputation, demons, and some twisted first-love problems. It should be out sometime in 2013.

Q.  Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?

Sure, how about: “Hi, everybody. Look all around this blog because it is awesome!”