Wolf Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel
(Grazi Kelly Novels, Book 1)
C. D. Gorri
"Hi. My name is Grazi Kelly. There are things I know are true and things that I never would have guessed. First, demons and witches exist and they are evil. Second, the world is up for grabs and the witches are getting their minions ready. Third, I'm a werewolf and it's my job to stop them."High school sophomore Grazi Kelly leads an ordinary life in the suburbs of New Jersey helping her grandmother with chores and attending Catholic school. Things are pretty good except for her bullying cousin and the rest of the obnoxious cheer team. Then things take a frightening turn when the night of the full moon arrives and the bodies start piling up. Grazi learns that she is different in ways she never expected. She finds herself torn between Sebastian, the school soccer star and Ronan, a foreign exchange student who shares her secret. She must uncover the identity behind the mysterious attacker, but is she ready for the entire truth?
Buy Links:
Available for a free download on Smashwords until May 28 . The code is RT36E.
About the Author:
C.D. Gorri earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from Montclair State University. She attended Catholic school from grades K-12 and is the youngest of six daughters born to Italian immigrant parents. She lives in her home state of New Jersey with her husband, their children, and their dog.
Guest Post:
My journey from
Catholic School Girl to Wife, Mother, and Writer
By: C. D. Gorri
I have wanted to be a writer ever since I can remember. The
only thing I ever wanted more was a family of my own. It has taken me eleven
years of marriage and three wonderful children to finally realize my dream of
writing. I can only be thankful that I have gotten this far with their
unconditional love and support.
Reading has always been my solace and authors, well they are
some of my favorite people. What better way to honor my heroes than by
imitation? Eureka! I decided to be a writer. For real. You know, not just say that’s what I want to do someday when
I have time, when the kids get older, after I paint the living room or plant
that garden I always wanted…hmm the
garden. Oops! Anyway…
Deciding to write a book was a big decision for me. As any
parent will tell you finding time to do anything when you have kids is pretty
difficult. I say that with a deep breath and a smile.
Now what to write? Hmm.
I thought about trying romance, but when it came to my own reading I found
myself looking at books written for kids and teens. I was at my kids’ millionth
scholastic book fair when I realized I was buying books based more on what I wanted
to read than on their little carefully filled out wish lists. That was a light
bulb moment for me. So I made the decision to try my hand at YA fiction. It was
one of the best decisions I have ever made.
One common piece of advice that all of my teachers have told
me from Sr. Michael in second grade all the way through my college professors was
to write what I know. Not easy since I am writing a YA paranormal series about
a teenage werewolf named Grazi Kelly. I am unfortunately not a werewolf so that
much is entirely my own imagination with some research thrown in.
However, I do know about New Jersey. I was born and grew up
in Hoboken and now I live in my own tiny slice of heaven in the NJ suburbs. So,
boom, I set my tale in the Garden
state. Next, I know Catholic school. I spent thirteen happy years as a student in
Catholic schools. Oh and I’m a woman, so at one point I was in fact a teenage
girl.
My heroine, Grazi, is fifteen years old and she attends
Sacred Heart Preparatory School, which is a co-ed Roman Catholic high school.
She has been raised by her maternal grandmother as Catholic and in Wolf Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel she
discovers the very small world she lives in is actually a lot bigger than she
thought.
In this first book Grazi is faced with learning the truth
about her identity, as well as, the cause of several deaths that take place locally
around the time of the full moon. She is confronted with the reality behind her
parents’ death, her nasty cousin’s mean girl antics, and she has to choose
between two super cute boys, Sebastian and Ronan, and deal with the bizarre new
turn her life has taken.
A major player in Grazi’s world is the Hounds of God, a
werewolf organization founded in the Catholic Church that goes back hundreds of
years. Their sole purpose is to protect humanity from the demons who are trying
to gain dominion over the world. Hunter
Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel #2 will be released late this summer. In this
continuation of Grazi’s tale she will discover more about the Hounds of God, demons,
vampires, witches and the simple fact that nothing is ever as easy as it seems.
The research I have done for these books spans history from paganism
to Christianity. It has been a truly enlightening experience. I look forward to
continuing this series with increasing delight. Some of the discoveries I have
made like the conversion of pagan gods to saints during Christian reformation
have been really interesting. For example the Celtic goddess Brigid was turned
into the Catholic saint, St. Brigit of Kildare, and is one of Ireland’s patron
saints.
Everything is
connected. It makes me feel part of the past, present and future in a way I
hadn’t really thought about before I began writing these books. I feel as if I
have learned so much and I hope you will as well when you take Grazi’s journey
with me.
Thanks and happy reading!
C.D. Gorri
Character Interview:
I would like to thank Maria Graziana Kelly from C. D. Gorri's Wolf Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel for stopping by today to talk with us.
What is your name? Do
you have a nickname?
Maria Graziana Kelly, but everyone calls me Grazi.
What is your hair color?
Eye color?
Well my hair used to be all brown, but I have this blonde streak
running through it now. My eyes are brown too.
How old are you?
I’m fifteen, but my birthday is on Thanksgiving this year. I’ll be
sixteen.
What is in your
refrigerator right now? On your bedroom floor? On your nightstand? In your
garbage can?
Nonna has me on an organic diet, so everything I eat is as natural
as I can get it. But my appetite has been really um, large lately. I guess we
always have a roasted turkey breast on hand lately. And um, fresh mozzarella,
sliced ham, turkey bacon, pasta with broccoli, milk, yogurt, granola, fruit,
and protein bars, waters and shakes. Stuff like that. My bedroom is pretty neat,
but I always have my rubber ducks on my nightstand and shelves. Along with my
mom’s diary, photos, and the crucifix that Nonna gave me. In my garbage can I
probably have some snack bar wrappers and maybe one or two crumpled up papers
and pencil shavings. I usually rewrite my math homework because I write a
little sloppy.
Who are the people you
are closest to?
Sebby and I have gotten a little close. But I guess you can say
that about Angela and Ronan too. My Uncle Sean and of course Nonna.
Who is your funniest
friend?
Angela by far. I mean she is my only real girl friend so we can
joke about things that I couldn’t really say to Sebby or Ronan.
What is your biggest
fear?
That I’ll fail and the world will end and it will all be my fault.
Downer, right?
What is your most
treasured possession?
My mother’s diary. Without a doubt. I lost her when I was three
and I don’t know much about her. This has really helped me connect to her in a
way I never thought I would.
What or who is the
greatest love of your life?
I would love to be able to answer this right now, but I can’t. I
mean I’m supposed to be in a battle in a few months with demons and witches. I
don’t even know if I’ll survive. Besides who would you choose, the boy who
makes you feel normal or the one who knows you for the freak you are? It’s
confusing, you know.
Which talent would you
most like to have?
I wish I could sing or dance. I wish I was beautiful, but that’s
not a talent. I guess I just have to hope I don’t make too much of an idiot out
of myself when I’m in front of people.
What is the quality you
most like in a man/woman?
I like honesty, loyalty, and respectfulness. I mean we should all
treat each other how we want to be treated. It’s what our teachers have been
saying since pre-k, I just don’t know why it’s so hard for some people. If you
don’t like someone that’s okay, but you should always respect them. It’s like a
basic rule of civilization that everyone forgets.
Which living person do
you most admire?
I most admire my Nonna. I mean she lost her daughter to a world
most people would think of as a nightmare before she was ever even killed. Not
only that, but after learning of her daughter’s death to monsters she took me
in and raised me. It must have been so hard on her. She is the strongest,
kindest, best person I know. Her faith and her love have always been an
inspiration for me.
To Claim A Wolf: A Macconwood Pack Novel by C.D. Gorri
