“INHERITANCE” (The Dark Gifts)
by Willow Cross
OVERVIEW
When Sarah and Jason Masada received an old house from an
aunt they never knew existed, they were grateful for the blessing. Until they
discovered the curse that came with being part of the Masada family--a full
moon.
Intent on tracing
their lineage, they descend into a world of lies, fear, ancient myths, and
death. Indian hunters have tracked them to the family compound, Jason is wanted
for murders he doesn’t remember committing, and their new-found family is on a
mission to kill them. It seems their only hope for survival is to combine
forces with two unlikely allies and trek across the globe to the place where it
all began. Maybe there they can find a way to end it.
REVIEW for “INHERITANCE”
by Books4Tomorrow
Willow Cross’s “Inheritance” is the first book ever
I’ve read of this author, and I can assure you it won’t be the last! I was
always wondering why other readers were gushing about her books, until I read “Inheritance”
- and I was blown away, to say the least.
First off, I need to mention here, that I don’t
usually read werewolf-themed books or anything related to werewolves. I find
werewolves dreary and the theme repetitive; but I was pleasantly surprised to
find that this is not the case with “Inheritance”. After finishing the book in
only a short time, I can safely say that Willow Cross’s imagination knows no
boundaries. I have never read a werewolf-themed story before that
has evoked such emotion from me, as this one did. Not even the werewolves in
the “Twilight” Saga are as real or as beautifully depicted as the ones in
Willow Cross’s “Inheritance”. Werewolves are not the only interesting
characters the reader meets in this book though. Witches, vampires and a whole
array of exciting characters, adds to the splendour of this extraordinary
book.
The non-stop suspense unfolds from the first chapter right
through to the very last page; and the well-crafted plot in this book is what sets it apart from other
werewolf-themed novels and makes this an outright unique read. The author’s
attention to detail is evident as she succeeds in creating a homely and welcoming, but also familiar, setting for the
characters to develop in; and consequently draws you into their world from the
very start.
Willow’s uncomplicated but clever writing style, made
it possible for me to devour this book in only a few hours. At times I was left
breathless by the heart-racing action and edge-of-your-seat suspense, but what
I loved most about “Inheritance” is that there are no overtly in-your-face love
scenes. Characters falling in love with each other are beautifully portrayed in
a subtle way and using only a few simple sentences, Willow let’s you appreciate
the deep love the characters feel for each other.
Saying that I couldn’t put this remarkable book down,
is an understatement. There are so many things I loved about this book -
believable lead characters; effortless transitioning from one chapter to the
next; and a masterpiece ending - I will definitely be reading “Inheritance” again
and again. Willow Cross clearly knows what her readers want; and how to keep them
satisfied and begging for more!
READ more REVIEWS:
ABOUT author WILLOW CROSS
Willow Cross resides in Arkansas with her husband, two
children still young enough to live at home, an enormous cat named Bitsy, and a
wuss of a dog named Tank. Her home has been known to host the occasional ghost,
and a few of her friends profess to be witches. Although she dearly loves
Vampires and Werewolves, they are never invited for dinner
INTERVIEW with WILLOW CROSS
ABOUT “INHERITANCE”
Q: What inspired a werewolf theme for this book?
A: I had just finished Birthright and had
decided to try the other ‘dark’ half.
Originally Inheritance was supposed to be a daily short story for my
blog. I really didn’t expect it to be
more than 15 pages at most. Around page
25 I realized that Inheritance had no intention of being a ‘short’ story.
Q: What did you enjoy most about writing
“Inheritance”?
A: One of the things I enjoy most about writing
any story is watching the characters develop.
It’s almost like raising children, but much faster. ;)
Q: Which part of this book was the hardest to
write?
A: The end.
I was really worried it would just go on indefinitely, lol!
Q: If “Inheritance” could be made into a major
motion picture, who would you choose to star in the main roles, and why?
A: Sarah: Nina Dobrev (V.D.) - I think she’s fantastic at playing both
the good and bad girl. With everything
Sarah goes through the actress needs to be versatile.
Jason: Jared
Padaleki (Sam in the tv series “Supernatural”). Well, that’s an easy one. I wrote the part with him mind. ;)
Q: Which songs/soundtrack would you recommend
for the movie version of “Inheritance”?
A: Today the opening song would be Korn’s “Coming
Undone”. However, my moods change frequently so it could be something totally different
tomorrow.
ABOUT author
WILLOW CROSS
Q: Which books did you read while growing up
and which ones were your favorites?
A: A WRINKLE IN TIME, THE HOBBIT, THE MOON IS A
HARSH MISTRESS, JONATHON LIVINGSTON SEAGUL, V.C. Andrews, and anything by Anne
Rice I could get my hands on. (All of
them were and are favourites.)
Q: What is your most favorite childhood memory?
A: I don’t know that I
have a favorite. I’ve sat here for
several minutes trying to come up with just one and I can’t find one I enjoy
more than another. I grew up on a farm
in rural Indiana. The neighbors next to
us had a daughter my age and a large woods on their property. We spent hours (nearly every day) in that
woods playing Little House on the Prairie, cowboys and Indians, hide and
seek--you name it. I believe those
countless hours of using our imaginations for play sparked my penchant for storytelling. Had I just sat inside playing with dolls,
things might have turned out differently.
Q: Name five interesting Willow Cross facts,
which readers don’t already know about you?
My favorite thing to wear is pajamas.
I do my best work in the winter with the
windows open so the room is cold, and an electric blanket wrapped around
me. (I have no clue why. I just do. LOL)
I hate shoes.
I’m barefooted most of the time.
I love thunderstorms.
I love to throw a blanket on the ground and
watch the stars with my children.
Sometimes we make up stories to tell each other, and sometimes we’re
just quiet and enjoy the view.
Q: On which celebrity would you like to pull a
prank on April Fool’s Day and what would you do?
A: I would seriously
love to put one over on JH Glaze. He has
a fabulous sense of humour and he’s not one who is easily fooled. If I could, I’d love to figure out a way to
scare the crap out of him. (It would be
payback for all those horror stories that scared me. LOL)
Q: What do you see as a controversial subject and
what are your views on it?
A: I don’t know that I consider the topic that’s
closest to my heart a controversial one, but I will share it with you. Having raised so many children, I’ve come in
contact with a multitude of teenagers.
There are so many lost children out there. Kids who are either unwanted or just uncared
for. Every year, we have several join us
for Holiday meals (and other meals as well) that have nowhere to go and nothing
to do. It breaks my heart to see so many
restless hearts longing for nothing more than to be loved and have a
family. I’ve said for years, and I still
say it....If I ever have the money to do so, I will build a home for teenagers
that have nowhere to go and no one to love them. There is a massive group of young people that
are just left out in the cold. People
don’t talk about it often. Most people
don’t know it is even an issue. They go
unnoticed, invisible entities that wander aimlessly around trying to make
contact with just one person who will love them. Now there’s a scarier part to this issue. Those teens used to be young children. I doubt their situations came up over
night. Many governments will help to
feed, clothe, and educated children/teens in need, but a government can’t teach
a child to love. We learn to love by
being loved. It really does take a
village to raise a child. Our villages
need more open hearts, minds, and arms.
ABOUT WRITING
Q: What inspired you to write your first book?
A: I had a story that was about a page and a
half that I’d written a few years before.
I was talking to a friend about writing (she wrote poetry) and ended up
showing her my story. After reading it,
she said, “Why don’t you make that into a book?
I love it!” I laughed at her and
told her I didn’t have time to write a book.
She talked me into trying.
I decided to take on the project as if it were
a ‘real’ job and set hours specifically for writing. Three days into the schedule I was
hooked. I will be forever in Phyllis’s
dept for setting me on this path. I
don’t think I’d have attempted such a massive undertaking if she hadn’t taken
the time to talk me into it.
Q: Tell us about your next book and when will
it be released?
A: The next release will be Oceans of Red volume
three. Simultaneously in print I will be
releasing the Oceans novella series as a full-length novel. Readers will still be able to download the
novella series in ebook form, but the full version will only be available in
print.
Q: Is there anything you find particularly
challenging in your writing?
A: I’m one of those weird people who almost need
the stars to align to write productively.
I must have uninterrupted silence, time, and be in the mood. If those things don’t combine, it is an
impossible task.
Q: Are you currently involved in any charities
or community projects? Could you tell us a little more about it?
A: Right now I’m trying to establish a program
with Arkansas Children’s Hospital to get e-readers installed on the computer
systems in each of the children’s rooms.
We have managed to compile a list of 70 plus authors who are willing to
donate their e-books for the cause, and are still adding names to that list
(hint hint). We don’t know if the
program will pan out due to software issues the hospital may have. However, I firmly believe this can be
accomplished eventually with the right people involved. So if any of you know someone high up in a
software company, or you are and author that would be interested in donating
your Children’s, YA, or Middle Grade books for the cause, please follow the
link below and ask to join the group.
Those of us who are involved in this are highly motivated to see it
happen!!! The ultimate plan is to start
with this Children’s Hospital and move right along to the next. Some of those kids are hospitalized for
months at a time. Some are too weak or
physically impaired to hold a book in their hands. If they had books available that they didn’t
have to touch, they could get lost in other worlds for hours. You can get lost in a movie (which they have
available) for two hours at best. You
can get lost in a book for days.
Q: Do you have any advice for other writers?
A:
Write. Don’t get caught up in
worrying about whether or not it’s good.
It won’t be good when you finish it, plan on that. BUT it will have potential, and that’s where
the real work begins. To arrive at the
honing process, where you clean it up, fix the grammar, build the dialog, and
all the things that go into making a good story--you must first have something
to work with. Listen to constructive
criticism. You can tell by the demeanour
of a person whether or not they are trying to bash you, or help you. Leave the bashers in your wake and move
along. Revise, edit, revise, and keep at
it. I’ve spent countless hours going
over writing manuals trying to learn grammar/writing/punctuation, and I still
don’t know everything I need to know! LOL
Yet I press on, because this is what I want to do. You have to really want it, and you have to
grow thick skin. Regardless of whether
you self publish, or traditionally publish, this a tough nut to crack. It doesn’t come easy for most people and it
probably won’t come easy for you either.
If you know and understand all of this from the starting point, you’ll
be farther ahead than I was when I began this journey. *smiles*
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