Crystal Collier is a young adult author who pens dark fantasy, historical, and romance hybrids with a thriller pace. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. You can find her on her blog and Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.
Favorite reads?
Les Miserables, Searching for Dragons, Jane Eyre, Another Fine Myth, The Giving Tree, Odd Thomas, and SO many others.
Inspirations for the book?
Dreams.
Did you know you wanted to be an author when you were little?
I figured I’d be an actress, singer, teacher, commercial writer, or author. They all sounded pretty good. (I’m actually 3 of those right now.)
Any Pet Peeves?
Cucumbers. *shudders* Okay, fine, cucumbers can’t be a pet peeve, but they are noxious.
Chocolate or Peanut Butter?
Cheese please.
The weirdest thing you've ever done?
Named my son “Random?” Erm, I live for strange.
Is there a soundtrack to the book/Favorite music?
Once In A Red Moon by Secret Garden
Do you need anything to write?
A computer. Time. Occasionally cheese. Oh, and I’ll take the most recent album by Two Steps From Hell or Audiomachine.
How long do you write on any average day?
Typically between one and twelve hours. (How’s that for specific?) Depends on home much time home schooling requires.
Give us the number one reason to read your book.
I’ll refer you to my reviewers comments:
“Honestly, this book is nothing like I have read before.” –S. Staley
“This book brings all kinds of originality to the paranormal fiction genre.” –What’s Beyond Forks
“Certainly there is no new story under the sun, but some stories strike as original. Moonless is this kind of story.” –C “MooreMom” in Houston, TX
In the English society of 1768 where women are bred to marry, unattractive Alexia, just sixteen, believes she will end up alone. But on the county doorstep of a neighbor’s estate, she meets a man straight out of her nightmares, one whose blue eyes threaten to consume her whole world—especially later when she discovers him standing over her murdered host in the middle of the night.
Among the many things to change for her that evening are: her physical appearance—from ghastly to breathtaking, an epidemic of night terrors predicting the future, and the blue-eyed man’s unexpected infusion into her life. Not only do his appearances precede tragedies, but they are echoed by the arrival of ravenous, black-robed wraiths on moonless nights.
Unable to decide whether he is one of these monsters or protecting her from them, she uncovers what her father has been concealing: truths about her own identity, about the blue-eyed man, and about love. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with the man of her dreams and risk becoming one of the Soulless
Among the many things to change for her that evening are: her physical appearance—from ghastly to breathtaking, an epidemic of night terrors predicting the future, and the blue-eyed man’s unexpected infusion into her life. Not only do his appearances precede tragedies, but they are echoed by the arrival of ravenous, black-robed wraiths on moonless nights.
Unable to decide whether he is one of these monsters or protecting her from them, she uncovers what her father has been concealing: truths about her own identity, about the blue-eyed man, and about love. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with the man of her dreams and risk becoming one of the Soulless
