Perfection and Brutal Virtual Book Tour and Interview

Today I am thrilled to be hosting Joel M. Andre who will be answering some questions about his two e-books: Brutal and Perfection. Let's start by taking a peek at what these books are all about.

About Brutal:

One dark and warm October night in the heart of Arizona, a group of friends are out for an evening of fun. It was a night for celebration, and to draw them away from the world. 
As they drink the night away, a dark and handsome stranger watches them in the distance. His observations going unnoticed as the girls focus on their own conversation.
Too drunk to make it home on their own, the stranger offers the group a ride home in his taxi. Reluctantly, the girls agree.
What follows is a dark and brutal act of revenge decades in the making.

About Perfection:

Carol and Tammy Long have fought a constant battle with their weight all their lives. When a stranger on the television offers an amazing new diet plan with a weight loss success rate of 100 percent, Tammy feels like it was an answer to their prayers.
As the pair ventures off to the Verde Valley Weight Loss Clinic things start to take a darker turn. The owner Kathy Black gives them a new take on the classic idea of perfection.
Now, placed in a medical facility where they are constantly monitored, the women learn there is something wrong with perfection.

Wow! These sound seriously intense! Makes me wish I had an e-reader. I am so happy that Joel agreed to answer a few questions to me. Let's see what he has to say for himself.

     Can you please tell us a little about your books Brutal and Perfection? 

Brutal is a short story about a man seeking revenge on those who killed his father. It’s a little violent, but I hope people do enjoy it. Perfection in turn is a cautionary tale about the degree that people go to get that perfect image.

 

     You started your professional writing career as a poet. What made you decide to make the switch to novels? 
I have always enjoyed poetry and the endless possibilities it offers. Unfortunately, the poetry market is filled with phenomenal talent and it is very difficult to break in.

        Which do you prefer as a medium: poetry or prose? 
I still prefer poetry and I think some of my poetic passion comes out in my descriptions.

      It seems to me most of your books deal with pretty dark themes. Why do you gravitate in that direction? 
Horror is a genre I grew up with. I think it is an interesting genre that removes a number of boundaries that are there. Essentially, you have a world where anything can happen and that can give your readers more to think about.

         Who is/are your favorite author(s)? 
 Anne Rice, Stephen King and Poe.

       What is the one literary work you think everyone should read in their lifetime?  
The Stand by Stephen King.

      How many works have you had published? 
I think at the moment I have over 20 titles out there. 

    Which is your favorite? 
That’s like having a person pick a favorite child. Each is a favorite for different reasons. For example, I love the simplicity of Brutal. In A Death at the North Pole, I love the whimsical nature it has. I don’t write serious drop down horror. Most of my work has a dark humor to it.

      Considering your penchant for the macabre, what would you like inscribed on your gravestone? 
Since you brought up the topic of my poetry, I think Cold Black Stone sums it up.

Cold Black Stone

I dream of a cold stone
Granite and full of a story
How it glimmers in the sun
And how is holds strong against the rain

I dream of a stone
Which will announce my rise and my fall
A stone which will say only one phrase
Will it proclaim a story of tragedy?
Or of victory

Will this simple piece of rock
Tell nothing more
Than a dark tale
Of Time forgot?

Oh dear lord please foretell
I pray it is not a simple phrase
That one cannot behold
For it’s only a simple stone
 

And please dear lord may it not read…
Alone

Thanks so much for joining us today, Joel. I have to say, I really love Cold Black Stone. Great poem.

Here's what I know about Joel:

 Joel M. Andre was born January 13, 1981. At a young age he was fascinated with the written word. It was at fourteen that Poe blew his mind, and Andre began to dabble with darker poetry.

Between the years of 1999 and 2007 Joel was featured in various poetry anthologies and publications. In 2008 he released his first collection,Pray the Rain Never Ends.

Knowing there was something deeper and darker inside of his soul, Joel decided to take a stab at commercialism. Releasing the dark tongue in cheek, A Death at the North Pole, created a dark world among the death of Kris Kringle. Ultimately providing a tale of redemption.

October of 2008 saw Joel release his second book, Kill 4 Me. A tale in which a woman is haunted by a vengeful spirit through text messages and instant messaging.

Finally, after missing his detective Lauren Bruni, he released the book The Return in October 2009, this time moving the action from the North Pole and placing it in the small Arizona community he was raised in.
Andre’s latest book is The Black Chronicles: Cry of the Fallen about a dead man who seeks revenge on the woman that tormented him in peaceful Northern Arizona.

Currently, he resides in Chandler, AZ.
You can visit his website at www.joelmandre.info

Here are the links to purchase these books:

Brutal- Amazon

Perfection-Amazon

Also, check out my post from Feb 2 to find out what a really great guy Joel is and to help him help out the American Heart and Stroke Association.

Thanks to Partners in Crime for including me in this tour!