Interview with Thomas Grant Bruso

Hello tea party attendees! Today, we’re excited to have Thomas Grant Bruso, author of Eye of the Beholder as a guest at our tea party.

In the middle of a psychic session with Madame Petri, David hears a ghostly voice calling his name. But he is not sure if it’s the elderly fortuneteller exaggerating the reading or bizarre grumblings coming from a mysterious old man in a painting hanging in the psychic’s foyer.

When Madame Petri disappears in a ball of flames, David rushes home, terrified. From that moment on, David and his policeman boyfriend, Zane, find themselves trying to solve the series of murders and mayhem that begin to haunt David.

Links for Eye of the Beholder: Goodreads | Amazon

Hi Thomas! Thank you so much for visiting us today. For all our tea party attendees who may be meeting you for the first time, could you tell us a little about yourself?

I’ve always known that I wanted to be a writer since I was a kid. I was–and still am–a voracious reader, my nose always in a book. I love worldbuilding and working with all those words. I look at writers as magicians, creating magical places in their minds, putting them to paper, and sharing them with strangers, never showing the reader how the hard work was done. I love books and writing so much that I know this is what I am supposed to be doing. This is my calling.

What are some things that readers should know about Eye of the Beholder prior to reading? Are there any trigger warnings they should be aware of?

Eye of the Beholder is a horror, paranormal, fantasy story. It is my darkest tale to date. Some of the trigger warnings that some readers should be aware of are suicide ideation and past trauma.

If Eye of the Beholder was a tea party, what would be the theme of the tea party? What flavor tea would you recommend pairing with it?

The first scene in the story is set in a fortuneteller’s psychic shop so the theme would be crystal balls, tarot cards, and candle incense–a setting fit for a tea party! My favorite types of tea range from oolong to jasmine. But in this case, as you receive a tarot card reading by the infamous neighborhood psychic Madame Petri, a perfect cup of Earl Grey would suffice.

What inspired you to write this book?

Horror is fun to write. I’ve always been drawn to the darker side of storytelling. I love reading and writing mysteries, thrillers, and suspense. But none of my previous mystery/horror stories ever found homes with publishers. Until now. “Eye of the Beholder” is my first published horror novella.

Finally, what’s the main thing you hope readers will take away from eye of the beholder?

Readers are in for a roller coaster ride of terror with “Eye of the Beholder.” If you like scary stories with a psychological edge, then this is your cup of tea. I will let you in on a small tidbit: when I was writing the story, I scared myself a few times which doesn’t happen often. It is a spooky, twisty, good old-fashioned ghost story.