Reality TV, ghosts, and a vengeful psychic medium—One woman’s life is about to get weird.
After years of small-town stagnation, Bethany James is haunted by her grandmother’s ghost, who will not rest until Bethany finally pursues her lifelong dreams of adventure. Her ticket out? Paranormal For Realz, a new reality TV show where ghost-hunting meets celebrity chaos. The show is seeking permanent hosts, and five hilariously mismatched teams are competing for the coveted spots. Partnered with the fabulous drag queen Pippa Pizzaz, Bethany is thrust into haunted B&Bs, viral sleepwalking scandals, and supernatural showdowns that are anything but scripted.
With her sarcasm sharp and her intuition sharper, she’ll have to navigate grumpy poltergeists, even grumpier psychics, and two wildly different romantic interests to survive the first round of haunted investigations. She is, after all, not just chasing a new career. She’s chasing the life she never thought possible.
I Scream You Scream is genre-bending paranormal women’s fiction meets rom-com, where one “odd duck” heroine battles specters, social media, and her own fears with a little help from her sequined sidekick and a grandmother who refuses to stay dead.
I remember watching and being utterly captivated by In Search Of, a television show from the early 80s that explored every mysterious phenomenon known to man. As a result, ghosts, flying saucers, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and all things paranormal absolutely fascinate me. I think I’ve seen every ghost-hunting show on television and the Internet. I’m a bit of a paranormal nut.
When I started writing romance over twenty years ago under the pseudonym Brenna Zinn, my brain constantly nagged me to write a novel about ghosts and things that go bump in the night. Well, one day my brain won, and I decided, why not? My Bethany James series was born from that internal battle. I must tell you, of all the characters I’ve ever created, Bethany James is my favorite.
I currently live in Texas with my wonderful husband of 37 years and my four mostly good dogs. I also have an amazing daughter who is the center of my biscuit-loving universe, who is an incredible actress.
Avis: Hello readers! Welcome to another interview on Your Next Favorite Author! This time we will meet a wonderful author from Texas, Beverly Zech! May I call you Bev? I met Bev in Italy where we both attended a writer’s retreat. We shared sightseeing in Florence and our writing pages in sessions at a winery in the beautiful Tuscan countryside. I’m so happy to host this wonderful writer along with her latest paranormal novel, I Scream You Scream!
It’s so exciting to have you as a guest on YNFA Bev! I loved your book, but more about that in the review! First let’s discuss you and your writing life! Our first question is:
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
Bev: Oh my gosh. What a great question. As it happens, I did in I Scream You Scream!
For twenty years, I wrote romance novels under the pen name Brenna Zinn. I have two books in a series about a strip club for women in Austin, Texas, called Iron Rods. In this series, I feature a bartender named T. No first name. No last name. Just T.
In I Scream You Scream, I had all the characters gather for an important meeting at The Broken Spoke, a very real and very iconic dance hall in Austin. Just for fun, I had T there working the bar for the meeting. I absolutely loved being able to bring him back, even if it was for a brief scene. He’s a great character who deserves a book of his own.
Avis: I love that! I have so many characters that I want to keep alive, and this is a great way to do that! It’s like a guest appearance in another book! Now I have to back and check out that scene. 😊
Our next questions is kind of fun:
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Bev: When my characters aren’t fully formed in my mind.
I 100% depend on my characters to talk to me as I’m writing. I need to know them inside and out to bring them to life on the page. If they aren’t fully formed in my brain, I struggle with making them real in the story. One of the greatest compliments I can get is from a reader who fell in love with my characters. When that happens, I know I’ve done my job well. That brings me incredible joy.
Avis: That is an amazing feeling when readers love your characters and want to see more from them! Well done! Part of a writer’s job is to get out of the way of our characters to better bring them to life on the page, and I can say you do that very well!
Our next question is one I ask a lot, and the answers vary widely:
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
Bev: I don’t know that I have an average, but based on some of my friends who are authors, I tend to be more on the slower side. I have a tendency to want to make what I have written perfect before I can move on, which is wonderful for my editor, but can be painful for my readers who are waiting for their next Beverly Zech release. As long as I can put my butt in the chair and focus on work, I can get about a thousand words a day written. If you consider that most novels are about 80,000+ words, well… you do the math.
Avis: LOL! I’ll let our readers do the math, but I’ll guestimate 80 days give or take plus time off for family and friends and little breather, two to three months for a first draft? I am on the slow side in that it takes me a year to get a book to my editor, which means it’s as good as I can make it. I have friends who take six-plus years, so you are speedy!
This question is one that I love to read the answers to:
What is your favorite childhood book and why?
Bev: I discovered my love of reading when I picked up a copy of The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart. This was the first book in an Arthurian legend series that I devoured. The series blended history, fantasy, and legend in a magical way that transported me to another time. I had discovered a genre that I have grown to love. One day, I will write my own story based on the Arthurian legends. I already have the basics of the story in my mind. But until I finish my Bethany James series, King Arthur will have to wait patiently in the back of my brain.
Avis: I can’t wait to read that novel! And yes, now is a good time to mention that this book is book one of a series, and once you read it, you’ll be screaming for book two! Get it?
Enough of that! One to the last question:
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
Bev: When I started my writing journey, I joined the Romance Writers of America (RWA), which is a national organization for professional romance authors. The local chapter of RWA was SARA – the San Antonio Romance Authors. There, I met so many wonderful women who taught me everything I know about storytelling, character development, writing fundamentals, and getting published. Elle James, Desire Holt, Delilah Devlin, Linda Carroll-Bradd, and Patricia W. Fischer are just a few of the ladies who contributed to my writing career. I owe pretty much everything to these amazing women.
Avis: Wow! That’s quite a list! It sounds like you’ve found your mentors and your tribe! I love how wonderfully supportive writers are to one another, and some of my best friends are writer/friends. 😊
Thank you so much Beverly Zech for visiting with us today, and letting us get to know more about you and your writing life! I know readers will love I Scream You Scream as much as I did, and we will all be waiting for book two to drop soon! Keep us posted!
For more information about Bev, links to her online presence and socials are below, and for a review of her novel, it’s at the bottom of this interview! Bye for now!
Bev’s socials
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bev.zech
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bevozech/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beverly.zech
Bev’s Author Website: https:www.BeverlyZech.com
Review of I Scream You Scream by Avis M. Adams
In a world where ghosts roam B&Bs and old farmhouses (hers to be precise), Bethany James seeks adventure and possibly a new career path, but first she must survive her fellow competitors and the ghosts, always the ghosts.
Bethany’s journey for a new life really captured my imagination especially when she finds a reality TV show auditioning for contestants. I loved the tension until she’s finally chosen and meets the crew and members of her team. She downplays her fears which are legion, but she rises to the challenges of competing with celebrities, and sassy supernatural beings with her sassy attitude and natural abilities. I love a kickass female protagonist and a good ghost story!
Beverly Zech’s masterful world building skills sets a realistic framework that kept my on the edge of my seat. The fact that Zech owns and uses all the paranormal equipment she had Bethany using on the show impressed me and brought another level of interest to the book.
I Scream You Scream, by Beverly Zech delivers a fun read that will have you turning pages into the night. Will Bethany capture her dream-man’s eye? Will she overcome her Bethageddon nickname? Will she become a permanent host on the Paranormal for Realz TV show? Readers must add this perfect summer read to their collections and find out!
Avis M. Adams 