I’m thrilled to welcome Soul Mate author L.D. Rose to the Power of 10 series. Today, L.D. shares the reasons behind her avid interest in the paranormal.

Here’s LD!

1. I was accused of being a vampire in the first grade.

Yep. That’s right. I went to an all-girls Catholic school for kindergarten and first grade (my mother yanked me out before second grade for acting out—oops!). My classmates already thought I was weird since I spoke broken English (my first language was Portuguese and I didn’t go to preschool; I learned English from Sesame Street). All of us kids were playing a game of tag at recess and I tripped on a rock and sliced my finger open. I immediately put my hand in my mouth to suck the blood away (c’mon, didn’t you do that when you were a kid?!). The girls freaked out and ran away from me, screaming vampire. I guess it didn’t help that I had a widow’s peak, dark hair and pale skin. I had no idea what a vampire was, but my feelings were hurt and I started to cry.

This was obviously quite traumatic since the concept of a vampire invaded my brain and I became obsessed with learning (and writing!) about them. 😉

2. I grew up in a haunted house.

Yep, that’s right too! My family was poor growing up and we bounced from apartment to apartment when I was a toddler. My parents bought a house when I was about five, both of them incredibly excited to have a home.

Too bad it was haunted, haha!

This could be a whole blog post in and of itself (and will be soon!) but my parents’ little Cape was over a hundred years old and two ghosts apparently haunted the premises (an eight year old boy and an elderly woman who died in the upstairs bathroom; later, my deceased German Shepard made a few ghostly appearances too). I never actually saw them, but their roaming footsteps, cold patches, whispers and little games such as dropping the blinds, turning off the radio and the occasional “push” made their presences unmistakably clear. I have no doubt there’s a ghostly world among us, no matter how much my logical doctor brain wants to argue it.

3. My first memorable books were horror stories.

Thanks to my vampire accusation, I began to read horror stories—a lot of them! My absolute favorite books as a kid were the SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK series by Alvin Schwartz. I couldn’t stop staring at the creepy images and rereading the melodious yet disturbing passages. My absolute favorite was THE HEARSE SONG and I used to sing it constantly while jump roping outside like the freaky little kid I was. As I grew older, I transitioned to R.L. Stine, Clive Barker and Stephen King, then it was all downhill from there.

See, kids? Be careful what you call your classmates!

4. Naturally, my favorite movies were horror movies growing up.

Gremlins. Ghostbusters. Poltergeist. The Exorcist. Friday the 13th. Nightmare on Elm Street. Halloween. Jaws. The Shining. Silence of the Lambs. CLASSICS! Although the horror movie industry has sorely disappointed me as an adult, these were my most memorable movies. My parents would let me watch a few of the more “benign” ones, but I usually snuck out of my room in the middle of the night (or hit the theaters) to watch the more graphic films.

5. My first writing ventures were horror stories.

Surprise, surprise! I’ve been writing for as long as I remember. The first actual “story” I wrote was on a typewriter at ten years old. It was called “The Secret Door”, about fifteen pages long, and starred a haunted house that held a portal to another dimension (no kidding!). My first ever publication is a short story in an anthology called “Horrors of History” (Fey Publishing) and it’s about two depression-era gangsters who get more than they bargained for during a bank heist (two words: zombie cops). I plan to do a lot more with these two boys in the future, since I loved writing them so much. Every story I’ve written has a preternatural edge to it—I just can’t help it, it’s part of who I am.

6. I wanted to be a paranormal investigator.

As a teenager, I used to raid abandoned houses (particularly those rumored to be haunted), trek into the woods after dark in hopes of running into a cult (or at least see a hanging body), and I played Ouija way too much (I’ve had some interesting experiences with that demonic game, let me tell you!). I know it sounds crazy but I loved to be scared; it was a rush, an addiction even, and my morbid curiosity never ceased to be satisfied. I never got into the real complex “ghost hunting” with detectors and such, but I still visit the occasional haunted spot (although my sixth sense has petered out, unfortunately). My hubby is quite averse to the supernatural world, so now I tend to explore it through writing and art. That and an occasional episode of Ghost Hunters. 😉

7. The type of music that draws me in most is rock, metal and rap of a darker flavor.

The darker the lyrics, the better. I’m madly in love with Trent Reznor (he’s my musical god) and some of my favorites are Marilyn Manson, Deftones, Godsmack, In This Moment, Disturbed, Staind and Stonesour. DMX is my favorite rapper of all time ‘cause he’s brutal and doesn’t hold anything back in his music. There’s something exhilarating about expressing one’s fears and discussing subjects most people are uncomfortable with through music (or any art in general). I try to do the same with writing and give it the realism it deserves.

8. Jogging in cemeteries gives me peace.

So, do you think I’m a total weirdo yet? 😛 Although my running tends to be on the street and residential neighborhoods as of late, I used to run through cemeteries all the time in college. I loved the silence and desolation—no people, no cars, just me, the trees and the graves. My favorite used to be Oak Grove Cemetery in MA, where the infamous Lizzie Borden is buried. Many of them were hilly too, which made for a great workout.

9. My acceptance of death and all things disturbing helped me to become a doctor.

Amongst other things, of course, but having a thick skin and a gut of steel helps. I’m going to let you in on a little secret: being a doctor is terrifying. You end up in situations so crazy you can’t even imagine and you must act quickly. There’s no staring or jaw dropping or sudden paralysis. A career that starts out by asking you to take apart a human body requires some serious nerve…and that’s only the beginning! Not to mention you need to soothe the fears of others and understand them. Needles, scalpels, blood and gore is no biggie to me, but my hubby will drop like a bomb at the sight of his own blood or an uncapped syringe. Being able to resist passing out is a major plus.

10. My passion for the dark and sexy (like vampires!) led to my first novel being published by SMP.

Yes, I love writing horror, but I also love writing about love. The books I’m most invested in involve a romantic relationship with a ton of conflict (usually of the frightening variety) and after much chaos and destruction, the hero and heroine have their well-deserved HEA. Dark paranormal romance and urban fantasy became my favorite genres to read…and write! I strive to put my readers through the same rollercoaster of emotions the characters experience—terror, lust, anger, sadness, relief, and of course, happiness. I think both fear and love bring out the best and worst in us, and I try to depict those ups and downs in my work. Now that my debut novel is out in the world, I hope it’ll be something memorable, whether you love the paranormal, horror or a romance that keeps you teetering on the edge of your seat.

If you’re so inclined, check out RELEASING THE DEMONS, a dark paranormal romance, out now on Amazon! BUY LINK: http://amzn.com/B013GVCC7I

Thank you so much, Joanne, for having me on your blog! It’s been a lot of fun and I hope your readers enjoyed it too. 🙂

Bio

L.D. Rose is a neurotic physician by day, crazed writer by night, and all around wannabe superhero. She writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy, but she’s been known to delve into horror, sci-fi, and medical suspense on occasion. L.D. Rose is a member of the RWA, FF&P, NEC-RWA and CoLoNY. She currently lives in Rhode Island with her studly hubby, her hyperactive boxer, and her two devious cats.

Where to find L.D.

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