Indie Author Week - Laura Masciarelli

Indie Author Week continues with Laura Masciarelli, author

of the YA paranormal mystery Quest. 
This is Laura's debut novel and today is her release day! 

Laura Masciarelli grew up on Long Island, the second of five sisters.  She graduated from Colgate University and became an analytical chemist.  After thirteen years working in various pharmaceutical companies, she attended Touro College and became a physical therapist, working with children.  At the present time she treasures living close to the ocean on Long Island with her husband, son and two dogs.  Laura teaches violin and writes.  She is interested in all things spiritual, whatever brings on that sacred sense of wonder and awe—a modern day mystic living in an every day world.

Welcome to the Spotlight Laura! Lets talk about your novel Quest! Is there one character in your novel that you feel the most passionate about?

My very favorite character would have to be Ashi, a sixteen-year-old enlightened master. Ty, a seventeen-year-old boy from New Jersey,  discovers her in a monastery on top of a mountain in Asia, during an archeological trip with his father. She is a conundrum to Ty—did she really bring his father back from the dead?  Is she real or did she appear from the ethers, from the mythical Himalayan paradise, Shambhala?

What aspect of Ashi was the most difficult to envision? The easiest?

I found that the most difficult thing was to reconcile two incongruent aspects of her character, the masterful with the innocent. It was quite easy to envision Ashi as a mystic with otherworldly powers and all the serene aspects that accompany one with such lofty spiritual status.  But, when she travels with Ty and the archeological team to New York, she knows nothing of western civilization. She's never seen a flush toilet or TV and doesn’t know how to zip up a zipper.  She appears almost childlike.

During the birth of your novel, was there any point whereAshi took an unexpected turn? (Ex. In personality, actions, heroism, characteristics) 

Ty discovers that his love for his girlfriend, Jenna, is pleasant enough, but shallow.  As his feelings for Ashi develop, he finds that she is his beloved and he deeply cherishes her.  He is filled with angst and deep longing for her, convinced that a mystic like Ashi would never return his romantic love.  But surprisingly, Ashi informs him she has loved him since their eyes first met.

If Ashi suddenly sprang from the pages, what questions would you have for her? 

Being a spiritual person, I would ask about Ashi's supernatural abilities, her ability to bilocate, heal, her precognitive capability--how did she know when the chasseur tracked her and Ty to their hideaway on the Jersey shore and was at their doorstep, ready to harm them to prevent the ancient secret from being revealed.

Is there a particular passage or scene from your novel that you feel embodies this character the best? 

In this scene, Ty is in the ER of the hospital with a gunshot wound:

            “So much excitement,” Ashi said with shining eyes. “We do not have so much excitement in Bhutan.”

            “Yeah, a little too much excitement,” Eduardo said, rubbing his elbow. His tee shirt was torn and one side of his jeans was covered in dirt. His face was dirty too, as were his hands. He had little cuts all over the skin that was exposed. “I’m more beat up than if I had played in the game today.”

            “You did a really, really good job, Ed,” Ashi said, smiling. “Do you not give nicknames to people who are your true friends?”

            “Yeah, that’s right, Ash. That man. What do you think he wanted?” Eduardo asked. “I couldn’t tell if he wanted something from us or wanted to kill us.”

            Ashi tilted her head, puzzled. “If he wanted what we found at the tower, he could have tried to take it while we were still at the tower.”

            “Too many houses around.” Eduardo shook his head. “Maybe he wanted to wait until it was an empty stretch of road to try to take it.”

            “I’m a little more cynical…probably because I’ve been around a few people who were murdered. He was trying to kill us,” Ty said with finality.

            There was silence.

            “And, he’s still out there,” Ty added. “Did either of you get a good look at his face?”

            Ashi and Eduardo shook their heads.

            Eduardo poked his head out the curtain to look around. “Where is that doc anyway?”

            “Let me look at your arm,” Ashi said.

            She stood and faced Ty, looking into his eyes. He dropped the gauze pad he was holding to the injury, revealing a red, open wound that had stopped bleeding. She raised her hand and just barely touched her fingertips to it. She smiled.

            “Same as before. Good as news.” She barely spoke above a whisper.

            He felt tingling in his upper arm.

            She removed her fingertips and continued to look into Ty’s eyes smiling. He could hardly stand the intensity of her stare. He tore his eyes away from hers and looked at his arm. There was nothing but intact, tan skin. His eyes shot to Eduardo’s to see if he witnessed the same thing. Eduardo was staring agape.

            “Awesome trick, Ash,” Eduardo said in a hushed voice.

            “Thanks, Ed.”

            Ashi’s hand moved to Ty’s face and she cupped his cheek. Ty put his hand over hers. “I’m safe with you, right?” he asked quietly.

            Ashi nodded.

What a great excerpt! Thanks for sharing it with us Laura. And it was fun learning about Ashi as well. Congratulations on your release!

Seventeen-year-old Ty Scalisi falls hard for Ashi, the enigmatic, brown-eyed beauty he meets in Bhutan, where he has joined his father's archaeology team, skipping across the globe in search of the treasure of the Knights Templar. 

With their team of academics, Ty and his father manage to gain access to the descendants of a select group of priestly families, closely guarding a 2000-year-old secret, not only to wealth, but to bliss, enlightenment, and the keys to unfathomable power.  As Ty and the team follow the trail they are hunted down and attacked by mysterious rogues who will shed blood to keep the secret hidden.

Ty's father is convinced that Ashi can help find the treasure, so she joins them in the U.S., where Ty discovers she is really an enlightened master, with mystical abilities.  As their team members get picked off one by one, Ty begins to wonder if Ashi herself holds all the secrets to finding the treasure.  Together they avenge the deaths of their team members and uncover harrowing secrets that will change the course of humanity forever.

Readers! You can find Laura on:

FACEBOOK / WEBSITE / TWITTER

Quest is now available on AMAZON !