Coastal Magic Convention 2025 Featured Author Spotlight: Lisa Kessler
Please give a warm welcome to Lisa Kessler to the Blog today, one of the Featured Authors for the Coastal Magic Convention that will be at Daytona Beach, Florida (February 20-23, 2025). Check out the Interview below with Lisa Kessler, where you get to read about five fun facts about her, writing routine, and so much more.
1) Five Fun Facts about yourself that readers may not know about you.
- I released two music albums before I ever became a published author.
- I’ve been a tarot reader longer than I’ve been a published author.
- For almost 7 years I was a docent giving tours of America’s Most Haunted residence, The Whaley House, in San Diego!
- I grew up on a Morgan Horse ranch and won a World Championship in Hunter Pleasure Open when I was in high school.
- I was an extra in the TV movie Into the Woods with Anthony Perkins and Rosanna Arquette. (I think that was his final movie too!)
2) Could you share your typical writing routine? How do you stay organized while juggling plot, character development, and world-building?
I build playlists for my books before I start writing and I also pull tarot cards for the hero and heroine to get to know them a little bit since I’m not a plotter. I also keep a separate doc open to keep track of series details. So my series bible grows with each book.
3) Have you always been interested in paranormal elements, or did something specific inspire you to incorporate them into romance stories?
Always! For all my life, I’ve been fascinated with magical and paranormal elements in books and tv and movies. I love the idea that our world is bigger than what we see with our eyes. I’ve tried to write contemporary stories before, but they always end up with a vampire next door or a ghost roommate! LOL
4) For new readers that are wanting to start reading your books, where would you encourage them to start?
It really depends on what kind of creatures or magic you’re looking for! I have lots of series too, so here’s a little cheat sheet! 🙂
Vampires – Try Night Walker, book 1 of the Night Series
Werewolves – Try Moonlight, Sedona Sin, or Wolf’s Witch – All first in series
Magic/Fae – Try the Summerland Stories
Immortal Pirates! – Try Magnolia Mystic, book 1 in the Sentinels of Savannah series
Mythology – Try Lure of Obsession, book 1 in the Muse Chronicles
Witches – Try Wolf’s Witch, book 1 in the Salem Pack
Demons – Try Beg Me to Slay
Thrillers – Try Perfect (LA Kessler) book 1 in the Genesis trilogy
5) Where do you draw inspiration for your characters, hero and heroine, and how do you keep up with them all?
I always pull tarot cards: Past-Present-Future for both the hero and heroine and then I build pinterest boards so I can see them and the settings You can check them out here: https://www.pinterest.com/ldydisney/
6) Can you give us a glimpse into any upcoming books or projects you’re working on?
I’ve got two projects going now, Wolf’s Warrior, book 4 in the Salem Pack and Flawed, book 2 in the Genesis Trilogy!
Here are a couple of tiny teasers… 🙂
Wolf’s Warrior:
Micah
The woods on the outskirts of Salem, Massachusetts were anything but quiet as the wolf pack howled underneath the full moon. While they chased small animals through the underbrush, I took a determined breath and continued my silent patrol around the perimeter of Munro Manor Farm. Behind me, the robed witches from the Coven of Light stood in a circle on the knoll beyond the two-story farmhouse. Their ritual was well underway now. The jaguar in my soul snarled, sensing the magic in the air.
Even though this was my second full moon on the east coast, this place still seemed foreign to me. Growing up in Australia, and then living in Sedona, Arizona, I was used to a hotter climate with far fewer trees.
But even though the climates were familiar, neither of those places were my home.
The truth was, I hadn’t really had a home since I was a kid.
Flawed:
Genesis Encrypted email
August 1, 2008
Re: Updated Protocol for Flawed Subjects.
In response to the exposure from the Moonlight Cove pod, Genesis is enacting a new protocol for all remaining research pods. Syringes with lethal doses of potassium chloride will be provided and maintained at every location. If a subject becomes flawed, the injection should be distributed immediately, and the subject disposed of quickly. We cannot risk another exposure.
We have become aware of an entity within the federal government that took possession of our Moonlight Cove research subjects. It is imperative for our work to continue. We must maintain our anonymity and that of our investors and board. Be alert and report any irregular activities.
The dream is on the horizon. Juliet Huff was our first Genesis child to reach adulthood in her perfect state. Perfection is attainable.
No parent will lose children to disease or birth defects.
Failure is not an option.
Chapter One
Human creation is never perfect. – Madeleine L’Engle
Big Bear, California
2022
“He’s supposed to be here in ten minutes.” Kenzie rolled her shoulders back as she stared at her cell phone. Her producer was starting to make her nervous.
“You’ve got the question list we brainstormed, right?” Shi asked.
“Yep.” She glanced at the paper sitting next to her microphone. “Hope I don’t screw this up. I don’t know if we’ll get another chance like this.”
“You’ve got nothing to worry about. I can make anyone sound good in the final edit.”
She laughed, but he wasn’t wrong. Shiloh King was the best podcast producer on the LA Times roster and getting him to work freelance was unheard of, but their friendship went all the way back to Mr. Hart’s fifth grade class at John Harding Elementary in Moonlight Cove. When she approached him about a podcast to unravel a mystery from their hometown, the Huff House and the secrecy around the missing children, he eagerly agreed to produce it for her.
They’d both grown up in the seaside suburb of Los Angeles. Being a beach community that wasn’t accessible from any of the massive freeway systems, Moonlight Cove managed to keep a small-town vibe.
And all small towns had their secrets.
7) What advice would you give to writers who are interested in delving into paranormal romance?
Keep track of the rules of your world. Because we get to create our own worlds, it’s really important not to break the spell by breaking your own rules… 🙂
8) Outside of writing, what are some of your interests or hobbies?
I still sing professionally and I’m also a manifesting coach and tarot card reader. My first tarot deck, Practical Tarot, and book on reading tarot cards intuitively, The Practical Tarot Method, will be released from Beyond Words Publishing on January 7, 2025!
9) What are you looking forward to most at Coastal Magic Convention 2025?
Seeing readers! My favorite! And my Night Angel reader group usually has a lunch at the convention too which is always super fun! 🙂
10) Fun Question: What is one place in the world you would love to travel to and why?
Greenland! Since 4th grade when my teacher said no one goes there, it’s been a life goal to put my feet there! LOL We’re actually planning to go for our 20th anniversary in 2026… I can’t wait! 😀
Lisa Kessler is a Best Selling author of dark paranormal fiction. She’s a two-time San Diego Book Award winner for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror and Best Published Romance. Her books have also won the PRISM award, the Award of Excellence, the National Excellence in Romantic Fiction Award, the Award of Merit from the Holt Medallion, and an International Digital Award for Best Paranormal.
Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.
When she’s not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, and has performed with San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego.
Check out Lisa Kessler’s Website and follow her at the following sites: Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest | Bookbub | Sign up for her Newsletter
For a full list of Featured Authors, Information about the weekend, and link to register to attend, visit http://www.CoastalMagicConvention.com. And be sure to watch for more Featured Author spotlights coming up here each month!
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
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