14 March 2013

Published Author Interview | K.B Lever | Manipulating the List Novel


INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHT

D.O: As He... Revealed Death to Humans? On the contrary. Grasping that truth about who or what death really is in a inform remains a mystery to anyone curious as a cat like me hasn't been able to elucidate. But K.B. Lever did spontaneously with his book Manipulating The List. This novel is what I called The Sum of All Mysteries. Someday I think I would like to write a book like this. *smiles* I hope I'm lead!

Welcome on the blogs K.B. It's a pleasure to have you here.

K.B L: Thanks for having me!

D.O: Who is K.B. Lever as an author? Who is she when she is not a writer?

K.BL: Writing is one of my favorite hobbies and I enjoy getting the chance to let others share in my enjoyment, but I keep it harnessed. My author side only works at night after the family is asleep. Writing is one of those things that can take over every aspect of your life - people become characters, life's journeys become a storyline, etc. I try to keep my home life separate from my work. So, when I'm not a writer, I'm a mother first and a paramedic second - my two "other" jobs.  

D.O: 'Manipulating the List', what aroused the title?

K.B L: The entire first novel in the series is centered on a list of people's souls that must be collected. When Katherine, the main character, finds herself on the list, she decides to save herself and in doing so she must Manipulate the List. Seemed fitting. 

D.O: Where was the stimulation to write about death in such a way you did, in this book drawn from?

K.B L: I deal with death and dying on a daily basis at work as a Paramedic. The idea of there being a Grim Reaper type entity following me around on the ambulance while I work gave me the idea. 

D.O: How was it creating a character like death, and making his goals so captivating?

K.B L: The whole book was extremely fun to write. Actually, the whole series has been extremely fun to write. It's amazing to watch where my creative mind desires to twist and turn.  

D.O: According to Katherine, she said The Soul Collector (death), would patiently wait remaining motionlessly as he lurked in the view of only the unseen eye, waiting for the exact minute of the victim's predictive death to pounce and collect the soul. "The transition was an entrancing dance where the partner had no choice but to follow."

Hmmm..... How did she come about the ability to see The Soul Collector (death), collect people's souls from childhood?

K.B L: The first time Katherine encounters Jonathan, the Collector, is when she is six years old and becomes a witness to him collecting her Aunt Audrey. The two realize that they can see one another, but neither feels any fear. Being six, Katherine is easily able to adjust to the fact that there are other entities at work. Jonathan, on the other hand, is elated at the possibility of having a friend. 

D.O: For some like Aunty Audrey in the book Manipulating The List, death was a beautiful ending to a sorrowful story. As a human who knows that we won't live here forever, what is death to you?

K.B L: Well, let me entertain you with an excerpt from Legacy of the List - Book 3 in the series. "Every life has a specifically allotted amount of time before an inevitable death. Whether it is short, long, rewarding, empty, or impeccably flawless can only be determined by the Great Designer. As a person, one may never know how, why, or for what purpose we were created. Children die before their time and elderly live past the age of functionality. Some may inevitably take their lives in an act of selfishness believing in the divine ability to control their own destiny. Others may be maliciously robbed of their years prematurely; time suddenly stolen from them, as well as their family, friends, and loved ones.
The only thing that is known about life is that it is unknown - length, purpose, direction. What choices one will make are left entirely up to chance, thought, upbringing, morality, and persuasion. A person's split-second decision has the strength to uplift or destroy, to condone or condemn, or the power to cause a mild rift to turn into a disastrous war..." 
As you can see, the books are riddled with my thoughts about death.  

D.O: Is Katherine gift a long one? I mean will it last till her old age? Did she even grow old or the soul collector also snatched her soul?

K.B L: The gift thus far (Now that she is twenty two in the first book) has lasted her, her whole life - But I don't want to get into too many details about the gift, how it works, and whether or not the two are able to Manipulate the List. 

D.O: What should be expected ahead of her?

K.B L: Once Katherine's name appears on the list, Katherine is expected to help hand over the other names on the list as a way to bypass her own death. This unfortunately does mean she may have to actually commit murder.

D.O: What is the situation in Manipulating The List that is extremely exciting?

K.B L: The most exciting situation, for me, is the fact that she can't simply go around helping the Collector collect. The law takes notice and causes her to run from the living and the "undead". 

D.O: Did this book end with cliffhanger?

K.B L: It does and I know a lot of people hate that. The thing is, the book keeps you guessing at its twists and turns throughout the entire story. There was no MORE perfect way to end it than with another twist. I did ease the cliffhanger for the reader though by providing the first few pages from the second book. 

D.O: What moral should your potential readers take away from the book?

K.B L: Things don't always go the way you would want them to go. Fight for what you desire. 

About Author:
K. B. Lever is quickly becoming a most beloved storyteller. A life full of love, laughter, and curious twists and turns has brought her happiness, success, and fulfillment of her passions!
The author lives in North Carolina with her family and also works as a Paramedic for a large municipality.
Her first series, The Immortal Companion, has released two books, Manipulating the List and Executing the List. The third book,Legacy of the List, is set to release in July 2013.
K. B. has multiple works in progress in conjunction with Legacy of the List. She has begun a children's series in dedication to her daughter entitled Laloo, the Dream Weaver and is working on a YA romance, Thirty Days in May. Both are set to release in 2013.

Book Title: Manipulating the List

Book Blurb:
Manipulating the List - Katherine Sheppard is the exception to the rule. That is, as long as she continues to run from the law; murder innocent people; and manipulate the Collector’s List… 

Shouldn’t be hard, right?

Since the tender age of six, Katherine has always loved to hear Jonathan’s nightly stories about tracking, stalking, and collecting his victims. She’s even had the privilege of watching souls transition into the afterlife, led by the hand of the Collector to their paths where angels or demons escort them home. It has been an unwavering friendship that has flourished for sixteen years. That is, until an unexplainable twist in circumstances causes Katherine’s name to appear on the Collector’s List.

Although, If you think her life would end there, you'd be mistaken. This is just the beginning. Katherine refuses to hand over her soul quietly and Jonathan upholds the decision of his only friend, feeling the bitter sting of helplessness as he realizes the possibility of being the cause for her demise. So now a new relationship unfolds between them, one of checks and balances, hints, clues, and mysteries, where the two must work together to manipulate the list despite a forbidden friendship.

But just as resolute, the law won’t stand idly by as Katherine assists in the deaths of others. Every form of law enforcement is preparing to conduct a global manhunt to bring her to justice. Nor will the Creator of the List tolerate a friendship that goes completely against his rules. The collections continue to increase in difficulty, pushing Katherine into an irreversible life of crime where the only possibility of escape is her own death.

Instead, Katherine chooses to fight as impassionedly determined as a trapped animal trying to escape its captor in her decision to overcome Heaven, Hell, earth and … the Collector.

Executing the List - Katherine Sheppard has been forced into an impossible existence. She’s been friends with the Collector for as long as she can remember, avoided her own death multiple times, and has been recently the prime suspect in a double homicide investigation from the U. S. Marshall's office. Life has hit a new level of extreme, but she can’t stop now...

As a woman fleeing from every law enforcement agency across two continents, Katherine is being forced to face what her life as a fugitive has become. She must learn who to trust, who to follow, and what rules must be obeyed in order to keep herself from falling victim a second time. With no moment of hesitation to catch her breath or collect her thoughts, she must assist the Collector in his gathering of the souls.

Can she continue to live the life that she has been thrust into? It’s a question that plaques her every move, every thought, and every emotion. Die or die trying. Kill or be killed. Can she continue to Execute the List?


Formats Available: Kindle, Paperback

eBook Cost: $2.99

Paperback: $14.99

Author Links: 


D.O: It's been very wonderful having you on the blogs, K.B. I hope you would come again? Do give my love to your beautiful daughter.

K.B L: I would love to and I absolutely will pass it on. Thank you!


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