The Accidental Psychic Annie Prior Series Book One by Carol-Anne Mason - Paranormal Murder Mystery
Annie Prior Series
Book One
by Carol-Anne Mason
Genre: Paranormal Murder Mystery
Date of Publication: 20th August 2021
ISBN: 978-1-8384305-0-4
Number of pages: 424
Word Count: 89,560
Cover Artist: Miblart
A horrific train crash turns Annie Prior’s life upside down, by triggering an extraordinary psychic ability that had lain dormant since her childhood.
After being rescued in more ways than one by a dark haired stranger from the train, two fatalities from the accident return to haunt her; and as Annie’s new Clairvoyant and Mediumship abilities grow, she is immersed into a realm of both needy and malevolent souls.
Despite an ongoing battle with her narcissistic family, and a boss with a dark past which continues to plague her, she comes to realise her strange new powers are also there for reasons beyond the present.
She embarks on a life journey helping both the living and the spirit world to gain closure.
But, not all are happy with Annie’s new vocation.
Interview with Carol-Anne Mason
Tell us about your newest book.This is my debut novel, and it’s been a long time coming. I’m 63 years of age and after many years of researching everything to do with Spiritualism and the paranormal … I felt it was the right time to finally put pen to paper and use my knowledge, beliefs and imagination to produce a novel that would not only inform, but help those who are bereaved. Although the storyline is mainly fictional, all the characters bar one, are named after my ancestors going back to the 17th century; The book is loosely based on my family’s history of Clairvoyance, and I used my daughters persona for the protagonist, Annie Prior, also using her image on the front cover with her aqua eyes as the main focus.
The novel opens with Annie, commuting from Southampton UK to London where she works. The train she is on crashes, and from there on a psychic ability that had lain dormant since her childhood, suddenly returns. She finds herself seeing the spirits of the dead so clearly, that she mistakes some—for the living.
Another commuter on the train, a dark haired stranger, rescues her to safety, and they begin a relationship that tests both of them through many ups and downs.
A malevolent spirit who died in the train crash, returns to haunt her. Also, her narcissistic family and a boss with a dark past all prove to be a challenge. But she uses her new found ability to deal with every trial that comes her way.
They say Hind-sight is 20/20. If you could give advice to the writer you were the first time you sat down to write, what would it be?
I would probably say … Don’t edit just get it down. Get your whole story on paper without going back over it, even for minor adjustments. If a lot of it sounds like gobbledegook then don’t worry, it’s only the first draft and can be polished—over time.
What are you working on now?
I’m actually in the process of finishing my first draft of ‘The Eternal Psychic,’ which is the sequel in ‘The Annie Prior series.’
While I was writing ‘The Accidental Psychic, I realised my protagonist Annie, had so many more adventures to go through. So I’ve brought a few of the old characters along with her, to continue their journey together.
Is there a release date planned?
Yes, finally! 30th August ’21.
Paperback and ebook; initially on Amazon and signed copies from my website. carolmasonauthor.com
Who is your favorite character from your own stories, and why?
Although I love the protagonist Annie, who is based on my daughter in every way, my favorite has to be Poppet (aka Mark); the only character in the novel who is not named after one of my ancestors. In fact Poppet’s persona and name was taken from the manager of a hair salon I used to have. I always wanted to have a gay male friend, and Pops was the best camp friend I could have wished for. So, because of his outrageous character in real life, he had to be part of the story.
And although he’s not a hairdresser in the book, he’s a male nurse, and his humorous and flamboyant personality is perfect. In fact he was originally only going to be present for one chapter, but I enjoyed re-creating him down on paper so much so, that he had to stay, and has now become quite a major character.
And yes! He’s in the sequel too!
Most writers were readers as children. What was your favorite book in grade school?
I was last at school almost 47 years ago, my memory of those days at a convent in the UK seems like another lifetime ago. But I do remember writing, illustrating and making my first book at the age of 5, which I still have in my possession, albeit looking like an ancient document now! We used to read Janet and John stories back then—a UK favourite for early learning— but the first book I remember buying with my own money when I was around 15, was Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula. I know this was a strange choice for a young girl but I absolutely loved it, and still have that copy today.
Good luck with your newest release, and thank you for being with us today.
Excerpt
Prologue SouthamptonA cold morning in early spring 2017
Unbeknownst to Annie, a mundane commute to London on a train — will change her life forever. A fatigue crack in one of the front wheels of the train’s control car had started to open up, and further up the frozen track, a set of points were waiting for the fail...
Chapter 2 The Crash
The previous babble of voices had now risen to a headache-inducing hullabaloo, prompting Annie to put her earphones in to listen to her favourite track ‘Human,’ from the new Rag’n’Bone Man album. She closed her eyes to concentrate on the haunting words.
Suddenly, the train shuddered, then jerked violently. Annie sat bolt upright and yanked her earphones out. The carriage had fallen silent, everyone froze; all eyes widened just before fear kicked in. Then, an unprecedented sound as loud as an overhead thunderclap exploded through the carriage. The screeching of brakes set the students screaming and running for the exits, tumbling over each other like waves. Some commuters stood still, straddling the aisles, and holding onto anything that was bolted down.
Annie could only watch in terror and disbelief; none of it seemed real.
Then, the impact came. A jolt so violent it sent bodies crunching onto the floor of the carriage. Annie was forced backwards with a massive thud into her seat, knocking the wind out of her. If she had she been facing forwards, she would have been horribly smashed.
The screaming in the carriage had become unbearably loud, with commuters slamming into solid objects. The train rocked on its tracks and tilted violently over to her side; and just—kept— tilting.
Annie grabbed a pole on the aisle side of the seat and instinctively lifted her legs from the footwell below the table, tucking them under her. There was a combined screeching and scraping, whilst brakes and metal sparked and twisted, before the train succumbed to gravity.
About the Author:
Carol-Anne Mason is an artist, writer and at the age of 64, author of the new award winning novel The Accidental Psychic.
She has lead a busy and full life with many professions under her belt including: dancing, writing songs and performing. Hair salons, tutoring at college, running a night club and antique shop. Although, has continued throughout the years with her painting and writing.
Her strong belief in spiritualism has grown since her early teens, after realising her premonitions and intuitiveness was a family trait going back many generations. And after immersing herself into the paranormal world and researching all aspects of spiritualism, she felt herself well equipped to write on the subject. Also her love for reading horror stories from the likes of Stephen King and James Herbert has also influenced her writing.
Carol-Anne works from her home in the rural Hampshire countryside of The New Forest UK. Where she lives with her eccentric husband and Maltese terriers, and spends much of her time with her two grown children and new grandson. Also, res- cuing any animal in need—large or small—often to the annoyance of her patient husband.
Website: https://carolmasonauthor.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarolAnneMason3
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camasonauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolannemasonauthor/
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