J. A. Beard's Unnecessary Musings: Piercing the Folds of Reality: An interview with YA paranormal author, Venessa Kimball

1) Pleases tell us about your book.

Jesca Gershon-Sera has an average life on the surface. She is a sophmore in college, has a loving family, and holds a part time job at a local bookstore with her best friend. Her life is pretty normal. Except, under the surface she feels like she is losing her mind. Reoccurring nightmares have plagued Jesca for most of her childhood. She thought nothing of them, until they began intensifying and finding their way into her waking hours. Voices, vivid images and supernatural abilities in her nightmares are beginning to seep into her reality.

Ezra Kahn is one of her college professors. Lately, Ezra happens to be everywhere she is; like he is watching her. Along with the slight fear that her professor is stalking her, Jesca fears that she won't be able to handle much more of the insanity that is blurring her reality. On a chance encounter, Jesca confides in Ezra about the crazy happenings. Jesca thought that he would think her to be insane or a freak. But, to Jesca's surprise, Ezra Kahn reveals that she is not a lunatic and that all of the insanity is very real.

Instantaneously, Jesca's reality is set askew. Ezra reveals that he has been sent to help her. He tells her she is experiencing these events in her life because of her inherited purpose to protect humanity from inconceivable catastrophe.

Jesca's roller coaster begins here! Boasting piercing suspense, pre-apocalyptic adventure, consuming romance, and "reality-based" spirituality and science fiction, Piercing the Fold: Book 1 will pull the reader in for the ride and won't let go!

2) Please tell us about your lead.

Jesca Gershon-Sera. She is not a meek character by any means. She is confident, independent, and has no problem telling things like it is. She is curious. She is sarcastic and witty. She is physically fit. She is a runner and loves the outdoors. She is a very loyal and compassionate person. Passion drives her for sure. Because of her upbringing, she is a very spiritual person. But, she appreciates and is curious about how science plays a part in her faith, like an extension to her faith.

3) What inspired this book?

It all started with a show on The Learning Channel or Discovery Channel, can't quite remember. It was late on November 22, 2010 and I was decompressing in front of the television. I was watching a show about the plausibility of wormholes. That was it. My mind started going through the "what ifs". I started googling everything from wormholes to galatic collisions. This prominent person kept coming to the forefront of my mind. It was her, Jesca, the main character. Her image, her features, her stature, everything was there when she came to my mind. That night she was born. The next day, November 23, 2010 I started drafting Piercing the Fold: Book 1. All the characters began popping into my head revealing their purpose in this story. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget.

4) What fundamental themes does your book explore?

Fundamental themes: self discovery, awareness of responsibility and purpose, how religion/spirituality and science could have a connection in our great expanse, how knowledge can be both powerful and dangerous if not wise about how it's utilized.

5) You have some interesting style choices in this book, including some chapters in first person and other chapters in third person from the POV of other characters. Please tell us a bit about your thought process behind your POV choices.

While writing Piercing the Fold: Book 1, some of the characters were becoming more prominent in the storyline. I have always found it to be interesting how POV transitions can be utilized to bring a developing supporting character to the forefront in a storyline. Those characters I chose to bring into first person needed to reveal their perspective in regards to the storyline. Some authors choose to hold one POV throughout. However, with Piercing the Fold: Book 1, reality has been set askew and with that the perspectives within the book needed to reflect the chaos other characters were experiencing as well. Inevitably, those POV shifts in Book 1 and Book 2 (and so on) will be justified when certain events throughout the series are revealed.

6) Please tell us about your other projects.

November 2012, Piercing the Fold: Book 1's audio book will be released. It is going to be a unique audio book. There will be multiple talents reading for the characters. It will be movie-like in a sense. Except, the movie will be created in the listener's mind. It's very exciting! Surfacing the Rim: Book 2 in the Piercing the Fold series will be released in March 2013. Book 3 (Title not revealed yet) is projected for a June 2013 release. I'm not sure if the Piercing the Fold series will stop at Book 3.

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