Kev’s Author Interviews Presents:

Ashlee North

The Gold Coast

Queensland Australia Kev: In a generalized way, tell us a little about yourself. Where you grew up,

siblings, family life, education, and how you got to where you are now. Hi there! My name's Ashlee North. I'm very pleased to meet you and I'd love to tell you a bit about me. I'm friendly, open, usually a joy to be with, and I like a lot of interesting and varied things, so I'm sure we'll have something in common with each other... I'm in my mid thirties and I live on the beautiful Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. I know... I am so very spoilt to live here! I love it!

Primarily I am a lover of words and music. I adore singing, listening to music, going to concerts... and writing - Yes I'm an author - I write fiction; novels of all types; and I find the most joy in taking readers on a journey with my stories. I love the ocean and I'm terribly blessed to be able to see it every day here from my balcony. I like to walk on the beach, I love watching good movies - comedies, romance, dramas, action and thrillers - even the odd western with my husband. I love spending time with him and with my daughter and together they are the true loves of my life. Over the last year or so I have also formed a strong bond with Social Media. I really

enjoy talking to people and finding out about their stories and I adore Pinterest. I have a number of boards and can often be found admiring the beauty of nature, animals, colours, life quotes and wedding

dresses, to name a few. I love having friends on many platforms and it's been a wonderful learning curve for someone who only had facebook up until last year. They say out of hardship one is often called to help others and I have had a life where I have been mostly attracted to making someone else's life better. My work with disabled people, the homeless and feeding

the hungry, have been some of my greatest times of enjoyment. There is nothing that fulfils quite as much as being there for someone in need, both in a practical way and to care for them emotionally. My life has been filled with events, both good and bad, which have molded and changed me and eventually have given me enough life lessons to have the wings to fly again. I have learned from my experiences, found victory over difficulties and life threatening illness and I have discovered true and lasting love in the process. Trust has returned, along with feelings of peace, but I cannot tell you everything about me all in one place. Just know that I have lived and then learned and then lived again - I have loved and lost and then

opened my heart anew and I have risen from a very dark place into a more joyous life by holding on by the skin of my teeth and believing for a better day.

My own personal journey, it has been said, is inspiring, but I don't like to major on the past, although I do tend to pour all of these things into my manuscripts, my care for others, and my love for life. I have been allowed to help others as a trained counsellor and as a life coach too and I have met some wonderful people in my time. Some of them have helped me so much, as I helped them, and I am forever

grateful. These days writing is my greatest passion and much much more than a hobby - it has become my way of life. I have so far published seven books; 'Caitlin and the Café Man' (just a small first beginnings kind of book); 'Because of the Secret'; 'Wake me up so I can Dream'; 'Circling Carousels';'The Storm that Brews Within; 'The Chronicling of Ilithia'; and 'Kiss Me, Love Me, Kill Me!' and an eighth one is being published as we speak. They are all wonderfully adventurous and intriguing books, suitable for young adult up to adult readers and 'The Chronicling of Ilithia' was written especially for mothers, young women and young girls who love fantasy and a good adventure, with a

strong female heroine figure. Right now I have just finished writing a book with the title of "Unborn Essence" by Ashlee North. It is all consuming and very

different. It is a joining together of fantasy and reality in ever increasing circles of influence upon the people of New York City. I thoroughly enjoyed writing it, as it stretched my imagination and I formed ideas and plots in both my waking hours and sometimes even my dream time. It's exciting! "Unborn Essence" will be a young adult to adult book as well and will be one in a series of three.

Kev: How long have you been writing for? I’ve been writing ever since I was a child. I started with poetry and short stories and I never stopped. At school English was my favourite subject and I loved writing essays – When the other kids groaned about them, I was secretly excited. Kev: Why do you write? This why I write - to tell stories of different genres - Suspense, the Paranormal, Psychological Thrillers, Young Adult Books, Fantasy and One young persons book, but all with a touch of romance, because love is a wonderful emotion worthy of many manuscripts.

Every single day I learn more and I try to teach something, show people something special, in my books, to give them a taste of hope. Don't get me wrong though - Not

everything works out well in my stories - they are convoluted and full of suspense, hard lives, murder, confusion and wonderment sometimes too. My writing always tries to portray the belief that even in the hardest of circumstances there can be hope for the future and that love may very well be right around the corner.

Kev: What is your genre? I have written eight books now – Each of them is different, but all of them have a touch of romance in them – because we all need a little loving. I’ve written suspense, fantasy, a psychological thriller, a murder mystery and a paranormal romance even. My books are enjoyed by young adults and adults too and I have had some awesome reviews! Kev: What is your latest (published) book called and what is it about?

The latest book is called “Kiss Me, Love Me, Kill Me!” It’s a really convoluted murder mystery story with all the characters trying to work out the answers to a thousand questions. Set in a colourful and vibrant theme park, it has all the excitement and thrills, but lurking in the dark, someone is watching, in the shadows not all is as it seems… And the body – well, you’ll never guess where it is… Kev: Who or what influenced you to write it?

Would you believe I had a dream which became part of a rampant thought pattern, which I had to write down in the middle of the night? It’s true! After I wrote it down

the idea morphed and grew into “Kiss Me, Love Me, Kill Me!” Kev: What challenges did you face while writing the story? Sleep eluded me – I was up until 3am every night, or morning if you like – and I wrote and wrote until I had a skeleton of everything I wanted in the book… then I added the meat to the bones. The biggest

challenge was not forgetting the disturbing and thrilling images from my dreaming – Had to get them down real fast so I captured them on paper. Kev: Did you do any specialized research for your story? Here on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, we have a number of theme parks and my research was of the most exciting kind – going to the fun parks! It wasn’t in the least bit unpleasant! I can take you to the exact place at one of the theme parks here, where I see the murder happening in my imagination. It makes a wonderful back drop and I love the thought of all that fun with an underlying evil stalking the park at night. Kev: Is your book part of a series?

Not this one, but I have just finished the first book in what will become a series. It is called “Unborn Essence” part of what is tentatively named “The Essence Legacy”.

Kev: Which of your works do you like best (feel most proud of) and why? My favourite book that I’ve written is “The Chronicling of Ilithia”. It’s a beautiful story full of adventure, twists and turns, love and strong heros and heroines in a world of fantasy.

I absolutely love the cover which I helped create for this book. It indicates perfectly

the magic and wonder which you will find inside its pages.

I like to say that “The Chronicling of Ilithia” is a modern fairy tale for mothers to read, just for themselves, and then to read to

their children too. My favourite quote from the book is

“So please, whatever else you do with your life, remember this . . .

Don’t ever take anything for granted.

Open your eyes to the beauty around you.

Think with your heart as well as your mind.

And never allow yourself to believe that what you see with human eyes is all that is possible or real.

When you look for the most beautiful things in life, you will see and if you take the time you will know.

And if you know then you will believe.”

Ashlee North

Kev: Is there anything you would like to say to your readers at this point? When you find my books, I hope you love them. I hope they touch your heart and change the way you think. I hope they give

you much joy and many happy hours of reading. More than anything, though, I hope they make you feel and know that there is something wonderful coming, that life is not only what you see with your eyes,

that there is much hope, love and beauty waiting for you to discover it, when you open the eyes of your heart! Kev: What are you working on now? I’m working on the second book of the trilogy series “The Essence Legacy”. This is a teaser for the first book in the series “Unborn Essence”

“A fantastical journey into the subconscious and spiritual. Answers to the questions you have wanted for so long. We are finally willing to tell you for there are things you need to know to survive. There are many things you do not see with your limited minds and it is time you did. The volumes of Essence Legacy will explain the things you do not understand. You will find them disturbing, concerning and you may even feel fear, but you must know for the world, as you know it, is in turmoil and at risk of extinction. We, the Essence, shall impart to you the secrets learned through countless generations and with our help you may be able to continue your lives on the planet you call your own. Without our assistance you will surely die.

We are imperative and through the words we share you will learn to understand just what it means to be inhabited by Essence and to have no choice, for the alternative is unspeakable and horrific. We are within you. We are what makes you the person you must be. We are your Essence. Without us you are nothing, but with us you are all that you are. Do not try to resist. Do not turn away, for we are already inside you. Like it or not, you need us. Read these volumes carefully for this understanding will dramatically change your life. We hope it won’t be too detrimental to your kind.”

The next book will be a continuation and an escalation of the strife which will go on unabated until something is done to stop the destruction of mankind and the world as we know it!

Kev: What new challenges are you facing? Right now my feet are cold, as I sit here and write this, and I need to put on my ugg boots and a jumper. It’s winter here in Australia and although a few hours ago I was warm enough, now the sun has gone over our building and the temperature has changed. Not really much of a challenge, I know, but I find that I lose track of

everything and become so engrossed in what I’m doing that I forget to stay warm, eat and other basic things – I just get so focussed. The real challenges I face at this time are closely related to the lack of hours in a day. I can, and do, spend all day writing and marketing my books, and then I can still end up awake until all hours, until the words stop flowing and my mind goes quiet. Up until now I have been involved in self -publishing and marketing, but I have recently been signed by a small more traditional publishing company and this is both exciting and challenging, but more exciting than anything.

Kev: Could you give us a little spoiler? Yes… this is a scene from “Kiss Me, Love Me, Kill Me!” by Ashlee North

“The first loop was done before they even had time to take a breath and the second was almost as fast. Neither Monty nor Lana minded that their necks got a little sore. It was worth it. After the second loop, both of them laughing and screaming at the same time, the roller coaster moved up over the hilly bit and into the twisty part and yes, they did twist and shout, they and the thirty or so others on the ride too. The next

part they always dreaded, because the brake pads on the sides meant the ride would end – they hated that! Today they need not have concerned themselves about stopping for this trip was after all different from any other ever. The brake pads failed to move into the wheels like they should. There was no stopping. Montana and Lana looked at each other in that instant, both knowing there was something was terribly wrong. The carriages were never meant to go this speed any further along the track. By now they should be going no more than half a mile an hour. Usually the brakes would have slowed them to a speed which would shortly bring them to a full stop at the end. The track wasn’t built for this. Still going far too fast, they could see worry on the faces of those on the platforms. Others too

knew there was something very wrong. Everything happened so fast from here on in. It was the screeching that would always be remembered, not only the screeching of the

wheels travelling at more than ten times the speed it should be, but the screaming of those who were trapped and doomed to crash horribly somewhere in amongst the crowd of people, all of whom were now trying to run away. Hundreds of people all around the ride, on the viewing platforms, on the ground, sitting over by the fences in the shade, all began to scream and yell and run.

There was very little to see now anyway, but neither Lana or Monty had their eyes open anymore – the fear wouldn’t allow them to. Lana had thrown her arm over her daughter in an act of futile protection against what she knew would come. It wouldn’t help much under these circumstances but she knew any minute the crash would come and she had to do something - Anything. The only sounds that could be heard now were metal on metal, squealing, rubbing, scraping and then the excruciating clatter as it jumped off the tracks, over the side, onto the cement and cobblestones. Shock and horror had every mouth closed for those first seconds once the carriages rode the paths they should not be on. As each thrill seeker gathered air into their lungs to continue their fearful wails, you could

clearly hear the scrunching, the ripping, the tearing, the sounds of horrific bending of framework and the scratching of fibreglass along the cement as the carriages uncoupled themselves, began to break up,

twisted over and over and found their final shattered resting place as a mangled heap of metal and plastic over by the fenced off zoo area. Then there was silence for a moment and then a new set of screams began.” Kev: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write in the style that you love… Let your words be fresh and bold and don’t give up easily! There are a lot of books out there, so you need to put your whole self into your manuscripts and give the readers something new and exciting and do it with all you have in you! Kev: Is there a question I haven’t asked that you would like me to ask? (If so,

give question and respond.) Is there anyone who has been particularly helpful in your journey so far? My husband has been so supportive through all the stages of this author journey. It’s been an interesting ride and he has been beside me, faithfully holding my

hand, all the way. I've also found a wonderful promoter and website creator in Jo-Anne Vandermeulen - you have to see my website to know how

lovely her work is http://ashleenorthauthor.com/ Jo-Anne really has gone the extra mile for me. These days I am happy to call her a friend, not just my promoter. She has supported my decisions, given me invaluable ideas and opened up the world of marketing for me amazingly! (Name’s) Blog: Put link for your

website/blog. http://ashleenorthauthor.com/ (Name’s) Book Links: (Place some links below.) My website http://ashleenorthauthor.com/ Google play app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.andromo.dev21385.app289545 On Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Ashlee.North.Author On Twitter - @AshleeNorth

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/AshleeNorth On LinkedIn - http://au.linkedin.com/pub/ashlee-

north/7a/135/333/ Google+ - https://www.google.com/+AshleeNorth Goodreads - www.goodreads.com/AuthorAshleeNorth Blog – http://ashleenorth.wordpress.com/

Amazon Author Page – http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B00FBCEH2Y_B00FBCEH2Y_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Ashlee+North&sort=relevance&ie=UTF8&qid=1407295351 Referral Key - http://referralkey.com/AshleeNorthAuthor SBPRA Author Website - http://ashleenorth.com and my Video Trailers on youtube - "Because of the Secret" on youtube - www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXu3cozPbCU "Wake me up so I can Dream" on youtube - www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVCLlaaOxzA "Circling Carousels" on youtube - www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwqeX6zurP4 "The Storm that Brews Within" on youtube -

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVgj_WgROs0

(name), everybody.

Ashlee North My Book Covers and other pictures – also in attachments

Me

The Ashlee North Collection – so far…