Welcome to Realm Explorers! In this weekly series, we visit a variety of unique worlds created by talented science fiction and fantasy authors. Enjoy your travels! And don't forget to read to the bottom of the post to find out more about each author and see how to purchase the featured book.
Author’s name: Bobby Nash
Title of book and/or series:
Series title: Alexandra Holzer’s Ghost Gal
Book #1: Alexandra Holzer’s Ghost Gal: The Wild Hunt (now on sale)
Book #2: Alexandra Holzer’s Ghost Gal: A Haunting We Will Go… (coming 2015)
Published by Raven’s Head Press.
Brief summary of the story:
Alexandra Holzer is just your average young paranormal investigator out to show an early 1960s New York City she knows a thing or two about ghosts. Join Alex's alter ego, GHOST GAL, and her fiancé, Joshua Demerest, as they do battle with a very ancient ghost and his pals who have a score to settle with her famed father, ghost hunter Hans Holzer.
“A charming, fun ride that keeps the spirit of the elder Holzer's work alive.”
--Rue Morgue magazine.
Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:
Young Alexandra Holzer lives and works as a ghost hunter in early 1960s New York City. Our story involves ghosts and there are times we get glimpses of the other side, as it were.
If we were to visit New York City as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
Alexandra lives in the Soho district, which is filled with artisans and all sorts of creative people. There’s a lot to see and do within walking distance of her office.
What dangers should we avoid in New York City?
In a city as large as New York City, there are all manner of people as well as other… shall we say, entities living there. Not all of them are what you might call friendly.
Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in New York City?
Walk down any side street in New York City and you’re likely to find something interesting. It’s a great place to expand your palate.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in New York City?
Alexandra is a scrapper. She’s learning new styles and techniques all the time. She’s not an expert yet. We’re seeing her early days and she still has a lot to learn.
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to New York City?
Whatever they can get their hands on, but Alexandra and her fiancé, Joshua, do spend a good deal of time walking as well.
What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in New York City? If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how it’s usedBoth of these elements are a big part of Ghost Gal’s world. She sees things that most people do not and she is quite often the only thing standing between the supernatural and us. Alexandra not only stands against the “bad” ghosts and goblins, but she also works with a couple of gentlemen who represent the light and dark sides of the world. The relationships between Alexandra and her liaisons, Samuel Esau and Jacob Black are some of my favorites to write.
Is there any advanced or unusual technology in New York City? If you haven’t described it already, please give some examples.
The New York City in Ghost Gal is very much the same as in the real world, but there’s a lot of other stuff going on that most New Yorkers either never see or have learned not to see. That said, Alexandra and her father, the famed Hans Holzer, have access to a few odds and ends that give them an edge. They’ve picked up some interesting items over the years.
Are there any other unique cultural practices that we should be aware of if we visit New York City?
New York is an incredible city. Enjoy yourself, but don’t let your guard down.
Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
Real life always inspires bits and pieces of my work. With this series, however, I’m also writing the fictional exploits of Alexandra Holzer, her fiancé Joshua Demerest, and her parents, the Countess Catherine Buxhoeveden and famed Ghost Hunter Hans Holzer. These are all real people. Even though this book is a work of fiction, I want to make the characters feel like their real-life counterparts. Frequent conversations with Alexandra have been invaluable in making this feel as real and authentic as I can make it.
What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?
I don’t think there’s anything too controversial in Alexandra Holzer’s Ghost Gal: The Wild Hunt. I write to entertain and that was my main focus here. I wanted to tell the best story I could. If anything in the book becomes “hot-button” or “controversial” then that’s okay too, but it wasn’t my goal while writing the novel.
Author Autobiography:
From his secret lair in the wilds of Bethlehem, Georgia, 2013 Pulp Ark Award Winning Best Author Bobby Nash writes a little bit of everything including novels, comic books, short prose, graphic novels, screenplays, media tie-ins, and more.
Between writing deadlines, Bobby is an actor and extra in movies and television, including appearances in Deviant Pictures’ Fat Chance, FOX’s The Following, USA’s Satisfaction, AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire, and more. Bobby is a member of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers and International Thriller Writers.
Bobby was named Best Author in the 2013 Pulp Ark Awards, his first professional writing award. Rick Ruby, a character co-created by Bobby and author Sean Taylor also snagged a Pulp Ark Award for Best New Pulp Character of 2013. Bobby was also nominated for the 2014 New Pulp Awards and Pulp Factory Awards for his work.
For more information on Bobby Nash, please visit him at www.bobbynash.com and social media.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book?
Alexandra Holzer’s Ghost Gal: The Wild Hunt can be purchased at the following:
Amazon US (paperback)
Amazon CA (paperback)
Amazon UK (paperback)
Barnes and Noble (paperback)
Books-A-Million (paperback)
Amazon (Kindle) ebook
Amazon CA (Kindle) ebook
Amazon UK (Kindle) ebook
Barnes and Noble (Nook) ebook
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghost-gal-bobby-nash/1119691621?ean=2940149704224&isbn=2940149704224iTunes (ebook)
And more.
You can find an ever-growing list of purchase links at www.bobbynash.com & http://bobby-nash-news.blogspot.com/2014/09/rue-morgue-magazine-reviews-ghost-gal.html
An audio version of Alexandra Holzer’s Ghost Gal: The Wild Hunt is also set to be released in the coming months.
Where can readers connect with you online?
I am all over the internet. You can find me at www.bobbynash.com, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, and Pinterest, among other places across the web. Please stop by and say hello.
Plus, you can learn more about Alexandra Holzer here and Raven’s Head Press here.
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to New York. Questions about the world or the book? Ask them in the comments and the author will get back to you!
Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.
Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the frozen wastelands of the North, in Realm Explorers Part XXIX!
Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.
Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the frozen wastelands of the North, in Realm Explorers Part XXIX!
-Annie Douglass Lima
4 Replies to “Realm Explorers Part XXVIII: Visit a Ghostly New York City with Bobby Nash”
Thanks, Annie.Bobby
You're welcome. It's my pleasure!
I always enjoy sci-fi stuff that is set in known locations. Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday! Merry Christmas!Tina
Thanks for the comment, Tina. I had a blast writing 1960's New York, definitely a different place than it is today. I start work on book 2 soon so it'll be fun to revisit this world.Bobby