Author Interviews, Book Reviews, Past Giveaways, Reviews by Diayll, The Indie Spotlight

The Indie Spotlight: Review and Interview with Dana Michelle Burnett

Welcome to the Mother/Gamer/Writer Indie Spotlight, a creative way for self-published and small press published authors to shine on the blog. To learn more about the Indie Spotlight, please feel free to view interviews and articles from Past Featured Authors, and if you are an author yourself and you are interested in being featured, please Fill Out This Form.

 

 

 

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Please welcome Featured Author Dana Michelle Burnett to The Indie Spotlight. Dana is the author of the Spiritus Series, a dark paranormal tale featuring a very steamy romance between a ghost and one unsuspecting young girl. It is a love unlike any other that will transcend time, if the two can learn to overcome the physical limitations of their relationship.  Today, I’m pleased to share with you my review of the latest addition to the story, Possessed (which is told from Alastor’s POV), an interview with Dana and a giveaway of all 4 Spiritus novels!

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

The Book Banner 3

I received this book for free from the mentioned source in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.



The Indie Spotlight: Review and Interview with Dana Michelle BurnettPossessed by Dana Michelle Burnett
Published by: Self Published on November 6, 2013
Genres: Ghosts, Romance
Pages: 344
Format: eBook
View on: Goodreads
Grab it: Amazon

Review Score:
About the Book:

Every story has two sides...

Alastor truly believed that his life was over the night his wife Becca shot and killed him over a century ago, but now he has returned as a spirit to haunt the reincarnation of his traitorous, murdering wife. Why now? Why Becca after all this time?

When Becca moves into her ancestral home in Corydon, Indiana, her life takes a puzzling and thrilling turn when she meets the ghost haunting the halls. As the seductive spirit lures her closer and closer, she learns about her own past and starts to understand that some mistakes are meant to last.

To Becca, Alastor is a seductive spirit that seems to see straight into her soul. To Alastor, Becca is what he has waited a century for--A second chance. But a second chance at what? Love...Or revenge?

How far will each of them go to rectify the wrongs of the past?

 

 

 

 

 

The Review Banner

 

 

 

Possessed broke my heart all over again. I’ve followed Becca’s story in the Spiritus series since the very beginning and every time the author graciously presents me with a new book, my heart cracks open a little bit further. I’ve always adored Alastor because he was the bad boy, but now for the first time, I’m able to fully understand his intentions. How, despite his faults, he tried to love Becca. He even tried with every fiber of his ghostly soul to allow her to live a wonderful and full life, without him. This novel brought back so many of the original feelings I had while reading the other books. The anguish, the madness, the joy, and tears when Becca endured all of the hardships that came with trying to find love again. It was fun, exciting, and deeply saddening to read.

 

And I loved it…

 

How can you love a ghost? Good question. This is something our main character Becca struggles with as she tries to understand her life and how she became Alastor’s reincarnated wife. In the other novels the story of their intense and sometimes volatile relationship is told from Becca’s point-of-view. However, in Possessed, Burnett gives us something I know I’ve been dying to read, the entire story from beginning to end in Alastor’s POV. Is he really as messed up as readers are lead to believe in the three previous novels? Completely demented? Selfish? A jealous lover with less than honorable intentions? Ah, how I would love to answer those questions, but that will ruin the EPIC surprise. I am glad to say though; I think readers will be a little shocked by his character. Things you thought he did that he clearly didn’t do. How he tried to be good and not let his heart harden with malice. Oh dear Alastor, your story is definitely one of a kind.

 

Overall, Possessed is a great addition to the Spiritus Series. The story is still fresh and original. How the author built a sensual, engaging, OMG story between a person and a ghost still boggles my mind. Nevertheless, I can’t get enough of these characters. Alastor makes me crazy – in a good way. He and I share a deep love affair. If you have not picked up this series yet, I implore you to give it a try. Especially if you are looking for something different with so many twists and turns your heart will be spinning out of control with emotions.

 

 

My Rating


rate 4-half

Diayll Signature

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

The Interview New Banner

 

 
 

1.     Welcome Dana back to Mother/Gamer/Writer! It’s been a while since we’ve had you on the blog so for those readers who are not familiar with you or your work can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

 

Well, I write paranormal romance of the very dark and creepy sort. I love exploring forbidden romances, ghosts, and haunted locations. I’m a huge fan of Anne Rice’s work, I still cry at the end of Gone With the Wind, and my not so secret crush is the dashing Michael Praed.

 

 

2.     The Spiritus Series has been a favorite of mine since I read book one back in 2011. How much has the story evolved from the first novel ? 

 

Oh the story has taken so many twists and turns! To me, it’s always been a battle of wills and a fight between the heart and the head. In Spiritus, Alastor is more the pursuer of Becca who is sort of lost and alone, in Haunted Becca showed that she had a strength that went so much deeper than either of them realized, and then Incarnate brought everything full circle in terms of sacrifice. All of it was told from Becca’s point of view, but with Possessed, the story takes a more tragic turn as we see it through Alastor’s eyes.

 

 
 

3.     Why did you decide to write a novel from Alastor’s point of view?

 

 My poor, misunderstood Alastor!  It seemed that when people read the series, they either loved or hated him. In my mind, he was always trapped, wishing he could move on, but trapped by this pull he felt to the reincarnation of his former wife. I guess this novel was my attempt to show that he wasn’t this obsessed spirit, but a tortured soul that was given a second chance.

 

 

4.     Without giving too much away, can you tell us what were your favorite scenes or chapters to write? 

 

My favorite scene will always be the hypnosis session between Becca and the doctor.  I got chills writing for Haunted and had nightmares after writing from Alastor’s point of view for Possessed.  In Haunted, it sort cool in a gruesome sort of way, but in Possessed, Alastor’s panic was more frightening than what was actually taking place.

 
 

 

5.     How was writing from Alastor’s POV different from writing as Becca? 

 

Becca was always so conflicted, moving from one idea to the other and just sort of teetering on the edge of sanity.  Sort of like Rapunzel in Tangled if Tim Burton did the movie.  Alastor was just filled with so many emotions!  He was all about love and revenge, regret and bitterness, power and helplessness.  He was so frustrated and in my opinion so much more interesting!

 

 

6.     Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

 

 Read, read, read, and then read some more!  When I read, I don’t see the entire story, I see the moments that make up the story.  I can go on and on about the plot of Gone with the Wind, but when I’m reading it, everything about Scarlett’s character and the fall of the south is summed up in that moment when she’s coming back from the train yard after failing to get the doctor and she realizes she’s alone and no one is coming to help her.  It’s the tiny moments that make the greatest impact.  I would love to read some new authors that could master that.

 

 

 

7.     Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to your fans, or to people who are considering reading your novel? 

 

Of course I’m forever grateful to the fans of my Spiritus series. I’m still shocked when I get an email and someone is telling me that they loved my work. It just seems so unreal!  For possible new readers, give Alastor a chance, I bet he’ll win you over.

 

 

 

 

This or That:

 

  1.    Tea or Coffee? Coffee
  2.     Reading or Writing?  Reading
  3.      Walking Dead, True Blood or Game of Thrones? True Blood
  4.     Books or Movies?  Books

 

 

 

For More Information, Please Visit:

www.DanaMichelleBurnett.com

www.Facebook.com/DanaMichelleBurnett

www.Twitter.com/DanaMBurnett

http://www.amazon.com/Dana-Michelle-Burnett/e/B004DQ832E/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1387212964&sr=8-1


 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions; it has been my pleasure having you on Mother/Gamer/Writer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Giveaway New Banner

The Winner Will Receive An eBook Copy of All 4 Books in the Spiritus Series (Spiritus, Haunted, Incarnate and Possessed)

Open Internationally

Good Luck!

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About Dana Michelle Burnett

Dana Michelle Burnett spent most of her life writing short stories and sharing them with family and friends. Over the years, her work was published in numerous commercial and literary magazines including Just Labs, Mindprints: A Literary Journal, Foliate Oak, and many more. Her short story John Lennon and the Chicken Holocaust was include in The Best of Foliate Oak 2006.

Dana Michelle’s Spiritus Series introduced the idea of a ghostly romance and became a Kindle bestselling series. She’s an avid reader of anything dark and romantic. Dana Michelle lives in Southern Indiana with her dancing diva daughter and an assortment of pets.

Dana Michelle loves connecting with her readers. You can find her at: