The Night of Elisa
Illustrated Gothic
Novel, #1
by Isis Sousa
Date of
Publication: February 2016
Publisher:
Tragic Books
Cover
Artist: Isis Sousa
Genre:
Gothic, Paranormal, Horror
~ The Corpse Bride meets Penny Dreadful ~
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview
with Isis Sousa
How
would you describe you style of writing to someone that has never read your
work?
Tough question! Perhaps the easiest description would be: a little bit poetic, a little bit tragic with many nuances between the lines. My prose style is slightly different for each book, On The Night of Elisa, it heavily influenced on screenwriting, while on As Cold As Thorns it is somewhat more archaic.
Tough question! Perhaps the easiest description would be: a little bit poetic, a little bit tragic with many nuances between the lines. My prose style is slightly different for each book, On The Night of Elisa, it heavily influenced on screenwriting, while on As Cold As Thorns it is somewhat more archaic.
What
mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in
general whether you are working on a project or just free writing)?
For
writing: In general, I like to put on a good music (Gothic, Metal, Darkwave or
Hard Rock). I like to drink tea/coffee and eat some snacks and sit comfortably
in an arm chair or on the sofa in the living room . I never write in the
office! Also, I don’t write daily or at a certain time. I
don’t have a routine. ^.^
For
painting/drawing: only at the office! Then I listen to great music as mentioned
above and here and there grab a snack. I take short breaks regularly. As a
professional, I have learned not to wait for a mood to get started, in fact I
can work at any time with creative projects – fuck the muse!
One
thing that I do as part of my preparation as a creative is to sleep enough, eat
healthy, do regular exercises, collect art and music (and appreciate these
everyday) and taking lessons on self-development and leadership. This helps me
to be prepared and in great mood for any creative or life challenge.
Do you
take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character
all the way through to the page? Do you people watch to help with development?
Or do you build upon your character during story creation?
I have
a strange way of dealing with characters. For the first, they are and will
always be the chore of my stories. For
me, it’s all about them! :-) Before I write any word in the story, I would have
dreamed and thought of the character/s for at least one year. Then, I treat the
writing as a blank canvas. I start and experiment a lot, changing ‘the picture’
as I write. I always ask myself: what would my character do in this situation? And
by answering the question I move the story forward. I cry when my characters
cry and I feel their pain – literally. So yes, I build them while creating the
story, or better yet, I let them create the story so I can build them!
Have
you found yourself bonding with any particular character? If so which one(s)?
Yes!
Leonhard, from The Night of Elisa has had a difficult life (or death) and is
quite melancholic. We are both artists and I sympathize with him. Henrique,
from As Cold As Thorns is my favourite character of all times. I love his
pompousness, admire his talent and skills and find very entertaining when he
makes himself the centre of attention. I am like him in some traits, while I
would never be as narcissistic or this showman that he is… And I love his dark
side as well!
Do you
have a character that you have been working on that you can't wait to put to
paper?
Yes! It
is a couple – a poor, very unfortunate girl who is loving and goes through many
sacrifices and her counterpart, a somehow monstrous man who makes an important
discovery for mankind. I would love to reveal more, but those are part of a new
novel I have been dreaming about for several months and hope to start writing
next year.
Have
you ever felt that there was something inside of you that you couldn't control?
If so what? If no what spurs you to reach for the unexperienced?
Very
intriguing question!!! There are some…
Love, for example, is that one thing I will never be able to control or
explain. Maybe it is the same for most
people? On a more peculiar level, since I was a kid, I have been attracted to
the dark side of life. When kids liked to play out and read children’s books or
watch family TV shows, I liked to stay home, drawing/painting, reading horror
books, watching horror movies and listening to metal music. I was always this
person that could go well along with anyone, but whom always preferred to be
alone, or with very few selected people who shared my taste for things. To this
day, I am passionate about dark stuff, from art to fashion and pretty much
everything. As for reaching for the unexperienced, I guess it is always the
curiosity, strong and willing.
BLURB
"Sometimes,
life and love can follow the most obscure paths, just as they did for Elisa."
Her life becomes a dark, cold,
lonely cage the day the devil takes her as his wife. He robs her of almost
everything she holds dear: her health, her wealth and what is left of her
family.
Trapped between the nuances of
life and beyond-life, Elisa finds herself struggling for a better tomorrow.
With her health deteriorating, how will she summon the courage and strength to
stand her ground? And how far will she go in the pursuit of a dream?
Embark with Elisa on this
puzzling Gothic adventure set in the late Victorian era, between the world of
the Living and the picturesque, melancholic Duskland.
~~~~~
The Night of Elisa is first and
furthermost Victorian Gothic, but can also fit within other genres such as Dark
Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery and Occult.
Parental guidance: for 16+
Contains blood, nudity and dark themes.
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Book
Trailer: https://youtu.be/PVDM75FKid0
Excerpt
As
Leonhard felt the small hand holding his arm, he was filled with a kind of joy
for the first time in decades. He didn’t want to remember the last time he had
felt this way; parts of his dark past were locked.
‘Elisa’
was feeling reassured, at least for the moment. She and her new friend remained
silent, but sometimes suspicious thoughts invaded their minds.
As they
walked west, they heard feminine laughter in the distance. A conversation was
taking place behind some bushes and the exciting tone awakened the couple’s
curiosity. ‘Elisa’ reached closer to Leonhard’s ear, stretching her body to
stand on her tiptoes, for he was a tall man. “I hear voices, sir! Sounds like
two ladies are sharing some secrets!”
“I recognize
those voices,” he whispered back, almost seduced by the sweet fragrance of her
hair and skin. “They are my gardeners. Come, you shall see them!”
Leonhard
guided her towards the voices. They approached two pretty, young girls sitting
on the ground, cutting dahlias. The girls looked up at the couple curiously.
They bowed to Leonhard and nodded to ‘Elisa’, who was shy and hid behind the
protector she knew so little about. She gasped at the sight of the girls and
gripped Leonhard’s arm tight. They are so seductive, she thought, envying the
girls. Her heart sped up, as if it wanted to escape through her throat. She
didn’t dare to speak, nor could she.
“So, who
is this pretty young rose you’ve brought with you?” the girl on the left
enquired.
“Is she
going to stay in our garden?” the good-humored girl on the right asked, winking.
“She is
my guest and is staying with us for an undefined time. Gerania, Iphigenia, we
don’t know her name yet. I found her in the woods last evening and brought her
here. It seems like she is suffering from some kind of memory loss, but I will
help her as much and as long as I can. I am asking all in this house to welcome
and serve her as well.”
Leonhard
bowed, kissing the ladies’ hands, gallant as usual. ‘Elisa’ grew jealous as she
watched them. Gerania pinched ‘Elisa’s’ cheek and wished her welcome. ‘Elisa’
blushed with fear. Oh my! Why is this weird woman doing this to me?
“Don’t
scare our guest, sister!” said Iphigenia, abruptly. “Where are your manners? Oh
dear!”
“I am so
sorry, my dear! I exceeded myself badly! I wish you a good stay in this house.”
Gerania stared at ‘Elisa’ with a chilling smile.
Leonhard
and ‘Elisa’ resumed their walk, leaving the sisters by themselves. The girls
knelt on the ground again and talked about Leonhard’s new ‘friend’. They knew
everybody in the village, except for this one. “She was so pretty, delicate,
pure... This is bothering!” Gerania commented in a low voice. Her sister
agreed. They soon went back to gardening and sharing their little secrets. The
lady and the gentleman heard more laughter in the distance.
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it Free at Instafreebie
Author Info
I am an artist, illustrator and
graphic designer who writes on my free time. But with all the imagination I
have running lose, there came some stories… And there came some books!
I am born and grown up in Brazil,
however I live in Mid-Norway with my beloved husband, in a tiny valley
surrounded by mountains and with very few neighbours.
When I’m not doing artwork and
illustration for clients, I’m doing woodcarving, painting ornaments, painting
artworks for myself, and so on. Love Arts, History, Heavy Metal and Dark things.
Author Links:
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