The Soul Thief
The Angel of Death Series # 1
By- Majanka Verstraete
Genre- YA Paranormal
Published By- Booktrope Publishing
Published On- November 11, 2014
When sixteen-year-old Riley is injured in a car crash and sees a girl stealing a boy’s soul, she’s convinced she’s hallucinating. But when she sees the same girl at the hospital later, she knows she wasn’t dreaming. That’s when Riley learns her secret heritage and who she really is: a halfling Angel of Death.
Riley must come to terms with her new reality and supernatural abilities, but before she can do this, girls her age start dying in mysterious circumstances. It’s up to Riley to figure out why, what the innocent victims have in common, and what she can do to stop them.
Majanka Verstraete begged her Mom to teach her how to read while she was still in kindergarten. By the time she finished fifth grade, she had read through the entire children’s section of her hometown library.
She wrote her first story when she was seven years old, and hasn’t stopped writing since. With an imagination that never sleeps, and hundreds of possible book characters screaming for her attention, writing is more than a passion for her.
She writes about all things supernatural for children of all ages. She’s tried to write contemporary novels before, but something paranormal always manages to crawl in.
Majanka is currently studying for her Master of Laws degree, and hopes one day to be able to combine her passions for law and writing. When she’s not writing, reading or studying, she likes watching “The Vampire Diaries” and “Game of Thrones,” spending time with her friends, or playing “World of Warcraft.”
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Tell my fans a little bit about yourself and your books.
Hey, everyone! My name is Majanka. I write books for children and young adults. All my books involve a fantasy element, or something paranormal.
I’ve published three picture books so far, the “Valentina’s Spooky Adventures” series. I’ve also written several books in lower grade chapter book series “Weirdville” and two young adult novels, “Fractured”, the first book in the Mirrorland series, and “The Soul Thief”, the first book in the Angel of Death series.
How would you introduce your books to someone that has yet to read them?
Since I have so many books out already, I’ll focus on “The Soul Thief” for this question. Think of “The Soul Thief” as Buffy, the Vampire Slayer with angels and demons. It features a strong heroine and her friends, and Riley, our heroine, has to adapt to a new reality when she finds out she’s an Angel of Death.
What inspired you to start writing? What age did you start?
I’ve been writing ever since I was seven years old. I had so many stories in mind that I couldn’t help but write them down. I stopped writing for a few years when I was in my teens, and picked it back up in college.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?
I enjoy reading, watching TV, and studying. I also like playing video games like World of Warcraft of Counterstrike.
What advice would you give to an aspiring author?
Don’t give up. Keep on writing, no matter what. Read articles about writing, and edit your work. Keep editing, editing and editing, and writing, writing and writing.
What’s your favorite scene/line from your works?
A tough one! I have so many I like, but this is one of my favorites from “The Soul Thief”.
“What do you think this is, little Angel?” he asked. “Some silly game? That your Guardian will burst in any moment and save you? Here’s a newsflash for you. He can’t hear you.”
What's the hardest thing about writing? The easiest?
The hardest thing is editing a book after a first draft. Sometimes it doesn’t need that much work, but sometimes it needs an almost complete rewrite. Having the discipline for that is tough. It gets better when the first draft is already in pretty good shape. The easiest part is the first draft. I love writing that, not knowing the twists and turns or what’ll happen next.
What are you currently reading?
I’m reading “Probably Monsters” by Ray Cluley, a horror short story collection.
What are you currently working on?
I’m working on “Demonic Pact”, the second book in the Angel of Death series, and the sequel to “The Soul Thief”.
I’m also working on “Ghostslayer”, a new adult paranormal.
What books did you read as a child?
I read lots of books. I loved the Fear Street and Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine. I read horror and fantasy the most.
How has your life changed since you began writing?
It’s become a large part of my life ever since I started being serious about it. I try to make time every day to write something.
Do you listen to music while you write?
No. I can’t focus when I listen to music and write at the same time.
What's been your favorite moment as an author?
When I got my first publishing contract, for “Valentina and the Haunted Mansion”, a picture book.
Out of all of your characters, who is your favorite?.
That has to be Riley. I love her. She’s amazing. She puts her friends and family first, and will always try to protect others, and that’s what I like about her. She’s brave too. She has bazillions of flaws, but her protectiveness and bravery stand out for me.
What do you want readers to take away from your books.
For “The Soul Thief” in particular, I want people to know you don’t need to be a superhero to protect others, and that true strength comes from within.
You’re stranded on a desert island. What books do you take with you?
The Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead, and the Harry Potter books. Those should keep me busy for a while.
What book(s) do you wish you would have written?
The Harry Potter books. I’d be rich, live in a castle, and write tons more. Although, if I wrote them, Harry and Luna would probably end up together.
Favorite book character?
Another difficult question. I’m particularly fond of Aubrey, a character from “In The Forests of the Night” by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. He’s a vampire, and he’s totally badass.
What is your dream vacation destination?
Egypt. I want to visit the pyramids.
Do you have any interesting dreams or goals?
Well, I’d like to think my goals are interesting, heh. I want to finish the Angel of Death series - in my mind, it has at least six books.
As for my dreams, I’d like to get a big contract for books, with a huge advance. I guess that’s every author’s dream, right?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I’d like to move out of my parent’s house, get my own place, and work part-time as a lawyer and part-time as an author.
If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
I have no idea! It would be great to have someone writing a biography about me though.
Where can fans find you?
My website, http://majankaverstraete.com is the easiest. I’m also on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Majanka-Verstraete/398570476832115?ref=bookmarks and on Twitter: @iheartreads
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