Guest Author G G Collins talks about Rachel Blackstone the Reluctant Medium

G G Collins

What does a fact-based reporter do for fun? Write paranormal fiction of course.

I couldn’t help it. Once I discovered the Hopi ceremony to return the dead, the story almost wrote itself. Keeping in mind that questions are the basic tools of journalists, I just had to ask, “What would happen if the wrong spirit returned?”

Well, a lot can happen, most of it bad. The spirit Rachel Blackstone wanted to see was her father, who had died mysteriously. But she inadvertently calls back one who is not so nice—and it has a score to settle. Further, she’s suddenly endowed with talents she didn’t possess before and doesn’t want. Rachel is befriended by a Hopi shaman who guides her on the perilous quest to send the ghost packing.

Reluctant Medium was to be a stand-alone book, but writing it was so much fun I decided to make it a series. When I created Rachel Blackstone I made her a reporter (write what you know), but she needed to be vulnerable so I gave her the kind of life most of us have: complicated. Her best friend Chloe is a successful real estate entrepreneur who loves “slumming” with Rachel on journalistic stakeouts—which she caters! The new age fascinates her and unlike Rachel, Chloe loves dabbling in the paranormal. Rachel’s brother is Santa Fe’s mayor. He dabbles in women and lives close to the edge. It’s been a rough few months for Rachel who ran away from New Mexico and her husband when it all got to be too much. Unfortunately, it gets worse.

Having worked at a book publishing house, I had insider knowledge of how the publishing industry works. I did the math and found I could publish the indie way and make more money. Since most publishers only promote a handful of books, it seemed likely I’d have to do most of it anyway. Why not keep total creative control? I’ve never looked back. While I admit it can be a roller coaster ride with sales up and then down, it’s much like life (practice and all that).

The Rachel Blackstone Paranormal Mysteries can be found in categories such as Mystery>Women Sleuths; Mystery>Werewolves & Shifters; Fantasy>Paranormal & Urban; and Mystery>Cozy Animals. But keep in mind cozy readers there is some mild horror and profanity in my books. There is also humor. Some readers have said “laugh out loud” funny. Another said “…get ready to hold your breath to the end.” I love it! It’s just what I want, for readers to have an entertaining adventure.

The path to the supernatural realm was in the cards. I loved reruns of Twilight Zone and began looking for some new reading material. Stephen King came to the rescue. Oh yeah, King filled the bill nicely. But he only led to the hard stuff: Supernatural (I admit, partly to look at Jensen Ackles!), Medium, Ancient Aliens and anything on the Bermuda Triangle or Area 51. Yes, definitely in over my head.

This fiction writing thing has infiltrated my entire life. When I travel it’s always with one ear to the ground for the weird, the unexplained—any oddity will do. My reading material has gone to extremes with books on man-eating Mesoamerican deities, Hitler’s fascination with space aliens, time travel and Native American spirit animals. I manage to work in some reporting experiences throughout the narrative. Of course, there is plenty of Santa Fe local color—the good and the bad of a destination locale. And it had to happen; one of my pets has become Rachel’s companion. Yup, you guessed it, the cat is psychic!

Lemurian Medium followed. This time a friend disappears into a painting at a gallery opening. When she can’t be found by normal methods, it becomes apparent that Rachel may have to find her another way. The next thing she knows, she’s planning a trip to the astral plane. On arrival she realizes she has landed on an ancient continent doomed to slip beneath the sea. It becomes a race to catch the red-eye home before it’s too late. I believe a dragon was utilized for transportation (work with what you have).

Currently under construction is Atomic Medium. Evil has once again slipped into Santa Fe. A time warp has opened in a popular Santa Fe retail store on Palace Avenue. The building was the main office of the Manhattan Project during the development of the atomic bomb in the 1940s. They are using the portal to give the Nazis another chance to win WWII. Only one person has witnessed the entry of the treacherous men through the doorway to the past. If they can’t be stopped, history will be changed. For Rachel, it’s no small chore: just save the world.

And so it goes for Rachel, who remains the Reluctant Medium.

Blogs by G G Collins:

Reluctant Medium at Large – Parallel Universe at Large

Where you can find G G Collins:

Goodreads – Twitter – Shelfari – Librarything – BookGoodies – AskDavid