Seeking Samiel by Catherine Jordan

By Basil Sands

Wife and mother of five children Catherine Jordan, author of SEEKING SAMIEL, writes from a background that seems pretty normal, except maybe that, in her writing at least, she is channeling a female anti-Christ named Eva.

Welcome To ITW’s Big Thrill, Catherine.

Tell us about SEEKING SAMIEL:

This novel is about the perils of desire—wanting the wrong things for the wrong reason. Who hasn’t ever been bitten by that little demon? I wanted the story to be a horror/thriller because that’s what I like to read, but I’d found a lot of those stories were either over the top or just not relatable. So my response was to make the story relatable with “desire” and to make it as realistic as possible with a cool twist. Demons, in my belief, are real. My twist was making Eva, the main bad girl, the anti-Christ.

If Eva was going to be the anti-Christ, then I wanted to make her a demon. The only female demon I’d ever heard about was Lilith–Adam’s first wife before Eve. And then I stumbled upon Lamia, a female demon who is half serpent, half human. Eva is both Lilith and Lamia; she is the reincarnated offspring of the first female and the serpent.

Why did you set your novel in South Africa?

I wanted my novel set in a worldly location where a woman like Eva could live unnoticed. New York and New Orleans came to mind, but I wanted somewhere different. I remember hearing the folklore that when Satan fell from heaven, he landed on the African Continent. Also, while in church one day, a vising priest from South Africa said that his country was a breeding ground for evil due to witchcraft being the fastest growing religion. I Googled South Africa and researched enough about Cape Town and Llandudno to make those places the perfect setting for my novel.

Have you always been a fan of the horror/paranormal genres?

I’ve always been a fan of the supernatural, I think because of my Catholic upbringing. God, saints, angles, demons, and monsters of all sorts have fascinated me since I was a little girl.

Your website mentions building an interactive aspect with the characters of your series. What is that going to be like?

Right now I’m in the research stage of this venture, but I’m toying with blurring the line between fiction and reality. This may mean allowing the reader to call a 1-800 number to speak to a character, or receiving email and snail mail from characters. I may put an avatar on my website to engage the reader as well.

Years from now, when your grandchildren’s generation picks up your books to read, what effect would you like the stories to have on them?

When my grandchildren read my stories, I’d like them to sit down and ponder what the story said/meant to them. My stories are intended to make people think. I enjoy a good lazy read like everyone else, but I also value a story that can stimulate my brain. SEEKING SAMIEL and all of my other stories warn about decisions and their consequences; you can be the victim or the beneficiary–it’s all about perspective and choice.

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Catherine Jordan is a wife and mother of five children. Born in Indiana, she lived many years in the South, and was raised in Northeastern PA. She’s a native of Mountaintop, PA and a graduate of Penn State University with a BS in Finance and Statistics. Catherine has been writing stories since she learned to hold a pencil. She writes in different genres, and strives to write thought-provoking, consequential stories where women play a viable, intelligent role.

To learn more about Catherine, please visit her website.