Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor Author Interview

Photo Content from Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor

Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, CRRN, ONC, PhD, is a multi award-winning author of over twenty-five novels, a screenwriter, ICU Nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable. A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured animals. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans. Weis writes paranormal, suspense, thrillers, horror, crime fiction, and romance. ​

Lucas Astor, Lucas Astor is from New York, has resided in Central America and the Middle East, and traveled through Europe. He lives a very private, virtually reclusive lifestyle, preferring to spend time with a close-knit group of friends than be in the spotlight. He is an author and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but right next door behind a smiling face.​

Weis and Astor’s first collaboration was the multi-award-winning Magnus Blackwell Series.

        

Paperback
Publisher: Vesuvian Books (October 2, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781944109141
ISBN-13: 978-1944109141
ASIN: 1944109145

Praise for DEATH BY THE RIVER

"... a thrilling psychological work ... Catching the current vogue of teen psycho and revenge tales like Bates Motel and 13 Reasons Why ... a horrifically brilliant book ... Beau Devereaux could have easily been a clichéd psycho, but the plot constructed around him and his development during the novel really shone as a masterpiece of character creation ... much in the style of Dexter or Hannibal." ―K.C. Finn, Multi-Award-Winning Author

"Rare is the story that simmers and rises to a boil so naturally and constantly that the reader manages to be repeatedly shocked ... a full-speed rollercoaster that doesn't slow down until the final page. Employing an evocative setting, powerfully defined characters, and taking along hard look at the darker side of human desire, this novel will catch your breath and hold it until the very end. RECOMMENDED" ―Michael Radon, US Review

"While the authors have written a chilling story here, there's more to Death by the River than thrills. It's actually a fascinating study into the effects of good and bad parenting on children. Do it badly and parents, children and society as a whole pay the consequences. This book is not just an exciting read; it's a sobering one." ―Viga Boland, Retired high school English teacher and Author of No Tears for my Father: Viga's true story of incest

"While the story follows compelling characters, it also plunges readers into an intriguing setting. It is ironical that the horrors are taking place along the river that runs so close to a seminary, an establishment that should evoke a powerful sense of God and reverence for life. The characters are sophisticated and readers will learn to honestly hate the villain of the story -- he is well imagined and developed with skill. In a subtle way, the authors allow his crooked mind to reveal itself. Like most serial killers, he is a charmer and an intelligent young man, but beneath the cool surface is a cauldron of simmering evil. Weis and Astor have written a riveting crime tale with strong psychological underpinnings. Death by the River is ingeniously plotted, written in gorgeous prose, and featuring a strong conflict that propels the narrative forward. The suspense intensifies as the story moves on, with the reader always feeling as though something awful could happen at any moment, and this feeling grows in intensity until the explosive climax. A real thriller!" ―Romuald Dzemo, Readers' Favorite

"A suspense-filled thriller steeped in equal parts atmosphere, insanity, and revenge." ―Mary Ting, Award-Winning Author of ISAN: International Sensory Assassin Network

"Weis and Astor have created something so dark, edgy, and gritty, it will stay with you long after you close the book." ―Julieanne Lynch, Dragon Award Finalist: Horror (2018)

"... a crime thriller that pulls readers into the twisted mind of the protagonist and holds them engaged till the exhilarating finish. The writing is flawless ... Death by the River is psychologically engaging, emotionally rich, and utterly absorbing." ―Christian Sia

  

Can you tell us when you started DEATH BY THE RIVER, how that came about?
It began as a nightmare that Lucas Astor had. He wrote the first draft and gave it to me. After I teamed up with him on the multi-award-winning Magnus Blackwell Series, he felt my experience as a nurse with victims of sexual assault could add to the story as well as the characters who suffer at the hands of the psychologically twisted Beau Devereaux. My understanding of mental health issues brought to life Beau’s decline into depravity.

Are there any new Authors that have grasped your interest and why?
Gareth Worthington. He has an excellent eye for science fiction.

What do you hope for people to be thinking after they read your novel?
Death by the River is a cautionary tale. The twin sisters depict two kinds of relationships women get into—the bad and the good. Dawn awakens to her bad relationship when she compares it to her sister’s good relationship with Derek. Dawn begins to see Beau through Leslie’s eyes and in the process, she grows as a person. She wants what her sister has, a man to build her up and not tear her down. It is what every woman should look for and not settle for less. If he does not make you feel good about yourself, he is not worth you. Women have the right to be treated with respect. And sometimes, if a guy seems too good to be true, he may be hiding something dark beneath a charming smile.

What chapter was the most memorable to write and why? 

I don’t remember a story in terms of chapters, but scenes. And those between Beau and his father, Gage, were the most compelling for me because of the interplay between them. Beau reflects his father’s upbringing, and I wanted to show that clearly. Lucas would say chapters 35 and 36.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?
Keep writing. Always write and never quit.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
Holding my first novel published by Vesuvian Books (a hard cover), Blackwell: The Prequel to the Magnus Blackwell Series.

What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us?
My next adult novel coming out in 2019 is the next installment of the Magnus Blackwell series: SEIZE. This is followed by Realm, an historical YA novel about the sixteen-year-old Persian wife of Alexander the Great. Roxana is the daughter of a local governor in Bactria. Alexander married her and took her with him on his travels across Persia and India. It is her story about her time with him and the years after Alexander’s death when she is bounced around his myriad of generals who are vying for control of his empire. It is an epic tale of love, conquest, and the plight of women in ancient times. In the Fall of 2018, Lucas and I have a sci-fi thriller called The Chimera Effect, which is already optioned for a TV series. This will be followed by 4 for the Devil, the debut of our new YA horror series.

If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why?
I would love to introduce Beau to Patrick Bateman. That would be an interesting meeting of minds.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating Beau?
I knew I always liked writing men with a dark side, but I never realized how dark I could go until Beau. He is pretty brutal.

What was a time in your life when you were really scared?
As a nurse in New Orleans, I have faced many situations that would scare most people. You have to adjust. What comes to mind (since it applies to my experience utilized in writing Death by the River), is when prisoners are sent to the hospital for care. One, in particular, was assigned to my unit. While handcuffed to the bed with a guard standing by, he threatened to rape me when he got out. That still haunts me.

Last Halloween Costume you wore and when?
It has been a long time since I dressed up for Halloween. Lucas is the same. But the last time Lucas recalls, he was James Bond—which is totally fitting for his personality.

What is your favorite restaurant in town and why?
Arnaud’s in New Orleans. I grew up eating there. It is very much the essence of my hometown.

How often do you remember your dreams?
Always.

If you could go back in time to one point in your life, where would you go?
I’d go back to my high school days. There were a lot of great people I knew then I would like to revisit.

What do you think is the single best decision you've made in your life so far? 

Going to nursing school for my BSN. The experiences made me a better writer.

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
I have to feed my animals. I have a lot of them.

Which incident in your life that totally changed the way you think today? 

The death of my mother when I was twenty-two. It changed everything for me.

TEN QUOTES DEATH BY THE RIVER
1. How did she get her sister, and everyone else, to see the dangerous predator lurking beneath the brilliant smile and good looks of St. Benedict’s star quarterback.

2. Love? Did she even know what the word meant? To him, love meant possession, rage, power—not some fuzzy warm fairy tale.

3. Why was hurting her so much fun?

4. He liked the cells. It was his laboratory, like he’d read about in Frankenstein, where he could experiment and create his own monsters.

5. I am the master of control.

6. For years, he’d listened to his parents whisper about “his problem.” But Beau never saw his anger as an issue. It made him stronger and better than the losers at school. His bouts of madness had given him another gift—purpose.

7. She had a lot of experience with Beau’s chameleon-like personality. He had been good at portraying the model son, overachiever, squeaky clean teenager with a heart of gold, and then like the Incredible Hulk, his anger would turn him into a monster.

8. The ferocity of his rage at the time came back to him. It had been there all his life, like boiling water beneath the surface of a still lake.

9. The mighty have a longer way to fall than the helpless. That is why the impact of their demise resonates like a dying star throughout the heavens. But beware their wrath. Such a fate can fashion the monsters men come to fear.

10. “Not to worry, baby. I’ll protect you from ghosts, wild dogs, and Beau Devereaux.”

Some truths are better kept secret.
Some secrets are better off dead. 

Along the banks of the Bogue Falaya River, sits the abandoned St. Francis Seminary. Beneath a canopy of oaks, blocked from prying eyes, the teens of St. Benedict High gather here on Fridays. The rest of the week belongs to school and family—but weekends belong to the river.

And the river belongs to Beau Devereaux.

The only child of a powerful family, Beau can do no wrong. Handsome. Charming. Intelligent. The star quarterback of the football team. The “prince” of St. Benedict is the ultimate catch.

He is also a psychopath.

A dirty family secret buried for years, Beau’s evil grows unchecked. In the shadows of the ruined St. Francis Abbey, he commits unspeakable acts on his victims and ensures their silence with threats and intimidation. Senior year, Beau sets his sights on his girlfriend’s headstrong twin sister, Leslie, who hates him. Everything he wants but cannot have, she will be his ultimate prize.

As the victim toll mounts, it becomes crystal clear that someone has to stop Beau Devereaux.

And that someone will pay with their life.

WARNING: Readers of Death by the River will encounter situations of violence and sexual abuse which could be upsetting.

HOW THE STORY CAME TO BE

Death by the River was born from a nightmare. Lucas Astor has strange dreams. After Alexandrea Weis teamed up with him on the multi-award-winning Magnus Blackwell Series, their agent felt her experience as a nurse with victims of sexual assault could breathe life into the characters who suffer at the hands of the psychologically twisted Beau Devereaux. Weis's understanding of mental health issues also brought to life Beau’s decline into depravity.

You can purchase Death by the River at the following Retailers:

  

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you VESUVIAN BOOKS for making this giveaway possible.

2 Winners will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card. 

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OCTOBER 22nd MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW
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OCTOBER 24th WEDNESDAY TTC Books and More TENS LIST & EXCEPT
OCTOBER 25th THURSDAY Booknerdchelcie REVIEW
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OCTOBER 29th MONDAY The Avid Reader EXCERPT
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NOVEMBER 5th MONDAY Casia's Corner REVIEW
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