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Friday, November 29, 2013

Black Friday Blitz for The Last Bastion of the Living: Guest Post and Giveaway with Rhiannon Frater

Hi, everyone!


I am pleased to participate in the Black Friday Blitz hosted by Xpresso Book Tours for Rhiannon Frater's The Last Bastion of the Living.


About Rhiannon:


Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of over a dozen books, including the As the World Dies zombie trilogy (Tor), as well as independent works such as The Last Bastion of the Living (declared the #1 Zombie Release of 2012 by Explorations Fantasy Blog and the #1 Zombie Novel of the Decade by B&N Book Blog), and other horror novels. Her next novel for Tor, Dead Spots, will be published in 2014. She was born and raised a Texan and presently lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and furry children (a.k.a pets).  She loves scary movies, sci-fi and horror shows, playing video games, cooking, dyeing her hair weird colors, and shopping for Betsey Johnson purses and shoes. 

CONNECT ONLINE WITH RHIANNON: 


Welcome back to Darlene's Book Nook, Rhiannon!

Rhiannon has written a guest post, so I will now turn the floor over to her.



Dystopian World Building for The Last Bastion of the Living
By Rhiannon Frater


After I finished writing my zombie trilogy As the World Dies (The First Days, Fighting to Survive, and Siege) in 2009, I was done with zombies for a bit. I turned to other types of monsters (vampires, necromancers, mummies, werewolves,) writing both short stories and a few novels.

Yet, I was faced with a fandom that really doesn’t like me to stay away from the zombies for too long.

I’d been toying with a dystopian short story on and off for a year. It was one of those ideas born of a dream that felt like the great beginning to a story. This particular idea started with two characters, Dwayne and Maria, and I was instantly in love with them. I wanted to know more about them and their world. As I began to pull the internal camera back a bit to get a good view of their surroundings, I realized the story and the world was much bigger than I had anticipated. It was definitely not a short story. It was something much bigger and more challenging.

And the best part, it had a different kind of zombie called the Inferi Scourge.

I recognized I would have to immediately set this world apart from the As the World Dies universe. It was most definitely going to be a dystopian world, but how was I going to construct it?

The title was the first thing that helped me. The Last Bastion of the Living immediately established a setting. A bastion is a fortress. I already knew the story was going to partially take place within a dying city…the last living city of humanity, in fact.

The concept is pretty simple. The last-known city of humanity is tucked into an isolated valley with a massive gate as its only entry. I knew that at some point the gate had failed and allowed the zombie-like creatures in the story called the Inferi Scourge to invade the valley, forcing the humans to withdraw into the city. But the city itself was a challenge.

Obviously, the city in the valley started out as a utopian ideal. Cut off from the world ravaged by a virus that creates dangerous undead who want nothing more than to bite and spread the virus, the valley, its resources, and the city were a shiny new beginning. So in my mind, I had to create utopia first.

So what would a city be like that was built to be the last bastion of humanity?

The walls that surround the city that houses well over a million people are high and made of steel. On the walls are massive guns called Maelstrom Platforms. The military buildings are located near the wall, while the government facilities rest near the center of the city.

Housing so many people means that they would live in flats in multi-level buildings. Because of the threat of the Inferi Scourge infiltrating the city, each building has a collapsible stairway that leads to a second floor entry. People aren’t able to have vehicles like cars, so there is an extensive subway and monorail system to ferry people across the vast city.

The valley outside the city provides all the resources the city needs to survive. Farms, ranches, a hydroelectric station next to a lake, and mining facilities are vital to the long-term survival of the city. A massive gate protects the only pass into the valley, keeping the Inferi Scourge out.

All these elements made up the New Eden, the home of The Bastion.

Once I had utopia established, I destroyed it.

The gate fails. The Inferi Scourge swarm into the valley, killing the hundreds of thousands of people living and working outside the city, and force the leaders of The Bastion to close the city gates, trapping the remaining millions inside the walls.

With the city cut off from the valley, it’s fully dependent on the resources already stored inside its walls. Soon, the subway and monorail systems shut down. Rolling blackouts become a way of life. The population grows and more prefab buildings are constructed, making the city even more cramped. City parks are destroyed to create more living space while buildings along the wall are razed to the ground to create fields. Because the city is cut off, clothes, shoes, furniture, electronics, etc. are remade, refurbished, and salvaged to make new things.

Utopia becomes dystopia.

Add in the undead Inferi Scourge howling outside the walls and the world of The Bastion came into being.

The world that surrounds my main characters is close to collapse and utter destruction. Life is fragile and they know it. The world itself creates tension in the lives of Maria and Dwayne and inspires them to great feats of bravery.

In many ways, The Bastion itself is another character in the book, rich with personality and history. World building is not always easy, but it can add so much to a tale. Especially one like The Last Bastion of the Living.

Thanks so much for joining us today, Rhiannon!


About the Book:


TITLE: The Last Bastion of the Living
AUTHOR: Rhiannon Frater 
PUBLISHER: Rhiannon Frater   
PUBLICATION DATE: June 12, 2012
FORMAT: Paperback, 375 pages
GENRE: Horror, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9781475206319

The Bastion was humanity’s last hope against the fearsome undead creatures known as the Inferi Scourge. A fortified city with a high wall, surrounded by lush land rich with all the resources needed to survive, protected by high mountain summits, and a massive gate to secure the only pass into the valley, the Bastion became the last stronghold of the living on earth. But one fateful day, the gate failed and the Inferi Scourge destroyed the human settlements outside the walls and trapped the survivors inside the city. Now decades later, the last remaining humans are struggling to survive in a dying city as resources and hope dwindle.

Vanguard Maria Martinez has lived her whole life within the towering walls of steel. She yearns for a life away from the overcrowded streets, rolling blackouts, and food shortages, but there is no hope for anyone as long as the Inferi Scourge howl outside the high walls. Her only refuge from the daily grind is in the arms of her lover, Dwayne Reichardt, an officer in the Bastion Constabulary. Both are highly-decorated veterans of the last disastrous push against the Inferi Scourge. Their secret affair is her only happiness.


Then one day Maria is summoned to meet with a mysterious representative from the Science Warfare Division and is offered the opportunity to finally destroy the Inferi Scourge in the valley and close the gate. The rewards of success are great, but she will have to sacrifice everything, possibly even her life, to accomplish the ultimate goal of securing the future of humanity and saving it from extinction.
Buy Links:

The link to my 5-star audiobook review is located HERE.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway is open to Canada/US mailing addresses only until December 1, 2013.


Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Winner of The Red Sector Chronicles: Omnibus Edition by Krystle Jones

Hi, everyone!


The lucky winner of The Red Sector Chronicles: Omnibus Edition by Krystle Jones is:
Congratulations to you! I have sent you an email, and you have 48 hours to claim your prize.

If any prize is not claimed within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to enter!

There is still time to enter these giveaways (just click on the badges below):

http://darlenesbooknook.blogspot.ca/2013/11/the-perimeter-book-blitz-author.html https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16368826-the-clearing http://darlenesbooknook.blogspot.ca/2013/11/the-perimeter-book-blitz-author.html
Winner's choice of one of the books in the Outside Series
Worldwide - ends November 29th

Saturday, November 23, 2013

The Perimeter Book Blitz: Author Interview and Giveaway with Shalini Boland

Hi, everyone!



I am pleased to participate in the Book Blitz hosted by Xpresso Book Tours for Shalini Boland's The Perimeter.


About Shalini:

Shalini lives in Dorset, England with her husband and two noisy boys. Before children, she was signed to Universal Music as a singer songwriter. Now, writing novels has hijacked her life and she is usually to be found with a laptop welded to her fingers and the house in a permanent state of neglect.

CONNECT ONLINE WITH SHALINI: 


Welcome to Darlene's Book Nook, Shalini!
Where and when do you like to write?

I’m not great at writing first thing after I wake up as I’m not a morning person. But any time after 10am is good. After the school run, I’ll shop, clean, tidy, run errands etc. and then I’m ready to work. I’ll usually sit in the lounge with a coffee and fire up the laptop. But my best ideas usually come to me after midnight, just as I’m getting ready to go to bed. Not sure why that is. Maybe because my brain is more relaxed.


Do you have specific writing habits?


Coffee and chocolate when I first sit down, but apart from that, not really. I use my Paperblank notebooks to scribble ideas, and use my laptop to write the story.


Do you have any hobbies?

Erm … no. Writing is my work and my hobby. I can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing - other than spending time with my family. Lately, I feel like I have less and less time for anything else.


Outside is a YA post-apocalyptic series. Can you tell us a bit more about it?


Set in the near future, it looks at what might happen if society-as-we-know-it collapsed. It follows the story of Riley who lives safely behind the Perimeter Fence. After her sister is murdered, she decides to brave the ‘outside’ to track down the killer and she persuades her neighbour, Luc, to go with her.

In addition to its post-apocalyptic setting, Outside is also a coming-of-age love story with a heap of adventure and some unexpected twists along the way. Book 2, The Clearing, is darker and more sinister. And in Book 3, The Perimeter, the tension ramps up even further with a ton of suspense and action.


Did any real world event inspire your post-apocalyptic vision?

Yes. The 7/7 bombings in London gave me the initial idea for the setting. After 9/11 and 7/7 I wondered what would happen if the bombings didn’t stop. What would become of the western world? I remember it as quite a scary time.


Who is your favourite character in the book and why?


My favourite character is Riley as she acts with bravery despite being terrified most of the time. She’s lived a life of privilege, but shows great guts and determination after her sister’s death. It would have been easy for her to wallow in her grief, but instead, she’s pro-active.

Writing her from a first person perspective allows the reader to see her fears up close, but as the series progresses, she finds more courage and ways to deal with all the trials and adversities she must face as she braves the ravaged world.


What was the hardest part of the book to write?


There are two storylines running through the novel and it was quite tricky to make the sequence of events tie up in the right place. The story also has a few major twists and it took me several attempts to get the reveals right. I hope I did it justice in the end.


Fave Book?

The Bronze Horseman, Paullina Simons or The Red Tent, Anita Diamant


Fave Movie?

True Romance or Overboard, depending what mood I’m in.


Fave TV Series?


The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones and Battlestar Galactica



Thanks for joining us today, Shalini! It was fun getting to know you better.


About the Series:


Set in the near future, these three heart-stopping novels follow Riley as she overcomes the murder of her younger sister by tracking down the killer across a post-apocalyptic Britain. At the same time, she is forced to take on the might of a twisted regime intent on conquering the nation. The series is packed with action, suspense, drama and dystopian adventure.

Books #1 and #2:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10863979-outside---a-post-apocalyptic-novelhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16368826-the-clearing



TITLE: The Perimeter 
SERIES: Outside, Book #3
AUTHOR: Shalini Bolamd
PUBLISHER: Adrenalin Books
PUBLICATION DATE: November 21, 2013
FORMAT: Kindle, 356 pages
GENRE: Dystopia, Young Adult
ASIN: B00GQEYTDS




In this fractured world, a sinister force is coming for Riley, and the only things keeping her safe are a perimeter fence and the people she loves. As her life is threatened, she must make impossible choices. But help comes from the most unlikely of places, and all Riley needs to know is: who can she really trust?

Meanwhile, a repentant killer searches for peace and salvation, but what he gets is the exact opposite. Now he’ll have to make the hardest decision of his life.

The Perimeter is a darkly captivating dystopian tale of adventure, danger, love and redemption that will have you on the edge of your seat and up at night turning the pages to find out what happens next . . .




Winner's choice of a digital copy of one of the books in the Outside Series by Shalini Boland.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open worldwide until 12:00 AM CST 
on November 30, 2013. 

Friday, November 15, 2013

The Red Sector Chronicles Book Blitz: Guest Post and Giveaway with Krystle Jones

Hi, everyone!



I am pleased to participate in the Book Blitz hosted by Xpresso Book Tours for Krystle Jones' The Red Sector Chronicles.


About Krystle:

Krystle Jones was born and raised in the small, southern town of Tullahoma, Tennessee. Reading and writing have been lifelong passions of hers. In addition to being a novelist, she is also an award-winning flutist, and moonlights as a voice actress. Her voice can be heard in the popular online game, Alice is Dead 3.

CONNECT ONLINE WITH KRYSTLE: 



Welcome to Darlene's Book Nook, Krystle!

Krystle has written a guest post, so I will now turn the floor over to her.




Walking in a Vampire Hunter's Shoes
by Krystle Jones


I didn’t know my MC, Sloane, was going to be a vampire hunter when I came up with the idea for The Red Sector Chronicles. I just saw a dark-haired girl, standing in a cityscape painted in shades of red. (Random aside: I think red moons look so cool. Naturally, I had to find an excuse to have one in my novel. =)

A lot of my character ideas start like this, as pictures in my head, and then I flesh them out on paper during my brainstorming process. At first, I was just going to have Sloane be a vampire, because I thought, “Writing as a vampire would be fun!” Then I got to playing the “what if…?” game and thought, “What if Sloane was a vampire hunter who became a vampire, and vampires are what she hates more than anything on this earth?”

That made for a much more compelling character and plotline, so I rolled with it.

Thus, Sloane the Vampire Hunter was born.

I wanted her to be tough. I wanted her to be sassy. Most of all, I wanted her to kick a lot of ass. But kicking said ass was a lot harder to write about than I thought it would be!

In my original draft of the first book in my trilogy, The Scarlet Dagger, I knew she would have to “prove herself” to the audience if she was going to be perceived as a femme fatale. So I had her run-up on a vampire straight-away – and she got her butt kicked. My hubby, when I shoved the manuscript in his face he lovingly agreed to see my baby book, I said, “So, she’s pretty cool, huh?”

“Not really.”

Now, my husband isn’t known for beating around the bush. He just says what he means.

“What?” I asked. “Why not?”

“She gets beat-up right away,” he said, pointing to the manuscript. “She needs to kill this thing. Then I’d be impressed.”

“Huh.”

“Oh, and make her more like Blade, ‘cuz that’d be cool.”

(No kidding on that last part.)

I did make her more like Blade, in the sense of her being a lot tougher to tango with. And that was part of the challenge. She couldn’t be so awesomely badass that no one could beat her, because that gets old. Plus, it’s unbelievable. She needed to have some kryptonite. And she gets that, in the form of a hot vampire, some acidic metal called Scarlet Steel, and a whole slew of other problems.

One of my favorite parts of writing from Sloane’s perspective were all the fighting scenes. I didn’t want to drag them out, but I wanted readers to feel like they were there with her, so I put as many details as I could in them instead of saying, “She punched him. He punched her. Sloane goes flying through a cement wall.” I took karate lessons for many years when I was a kid, and it was fun reliving those years through Sloane, because all of a sudden, I had someplace to use my knowledge. (Never had to get in a fight yet, thankfully!)

When she becomes a vampire, I also had to think about how that affected her psychologically, since she despised vampires. I mean, they did ruin the world. Sloane was very complex and fun to write about while she was in the “figuring-things-out” stage of being a vampire. She sort of wants to like vampires, but she knows she’s supposed to hate them – and she really does – so she’s kind of stuck.

I’d like to keep writing about tough chicks. Not that I have anything against softer heroines (the Bella’s of the literary world), but writing about a girl who can protect herself is a lot of fun.

Thanks so much for joining us today, Krystle!



About the Book:


SERIES: The Red Sector Chronicles, Books #1-3
AUTHOR: Krystle Jones
PUBLICATION DATE: October 31, 2013
FORMAT: E-book, 578 pages
GENRE: Dystopia, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult

The strength of Sloane’s heart is about to be put to the ultimate test.

After the Eclipse – the night vampires began openly slaughtering human victims – everything changed. Out of fear, the government salvaged what remained of the human population and enclosed them in massive, security-laden cities called White Sectors, while marking the vampire infested territory as Red Sectors.

When seventeen-year-old Sloane McAllister’s twin brother disappears, she seems to be the only one who thinks he isn’t dead, and she vows to stop at nothing to find him. Gathering her courage, she braves the Red Sector to search for clues to his whereabouts. By chance, she encounters Aden, a handsome, charismatic vampire with a hidden agenda. He turns Sloane against her will and whisks her away to his underground city. Enemies quickly become friends as Sloane struggles against her attraction to Aden, and resists her growing loyalties to the creatures that ruined her life.

But the vampires themselves are the least of her problems. A war is brewing between the humans and vampires, along with a growing web of deceit and betrayal. And before it’s all over, loyalties will be tested, hearts will be broken, and no one’s lives will ever be the same.

Buy Links:
Amazon / Smashwords


Book Excerpt: 


The floorboards behind me creaked ever so slightly, and I drew my pistol, scanning the patches of darkness within the living room. A set of small windows casted squares of red moonlight on the dusty planks. There, so light it was nearly unnoticeable, was a footprint in the dust, much too large to be my own.

Fear, icy and tangible, tapped its claws along my spine and up the base of my neck. I froze for a long second before rushing to the front door, my head screaming, Get out! Get out now!
 

I was literally inside the doorframe, one foot in the house, one foot out, when a hand reached out of the shadows and grabbed me by the throat, slamming me into the wall so hard I lost my breath.

Someone wrested the pistol from my grasp before I could collect enough of my senses to think to fire it. My fingers were so clammy I couldn’t get a hold on my attacker’s hand as I clawed at it, trying to free myself. A thumb pressed into my air tube, and I choked as a tall, lithe silhouette stepped in front of me. The figure’s gaze shifted, its eyes reflecting red like the lenses in a cat’s eyes as it glanced at my right wrist, where the tattoo was bathed in moonlight.

“What are you doing here, hunter?” came the low, musical voice of a man. Though his timbre was soft, there was a steely edge to it.

I coughed and sputtered, glimpsing the bottom corner of a black leather trench coat and ruling out that my mother’s guard had caught up to me. The Scarlet Guard got their name from their red uniforms… and their thirst for bloodshed. But if this man wasn’t with the Scarlet Guard, then who was he? What was he doing here – in my house, of all places – on the anniversary of the Eclipse?

The figure leaned in. Wispy platinum blond bangs came into view, though his face was still obscured by shadows. He studied me a moment longer before I heard a tiny gasp. “It can’t be…” he whispered in disbelief, and my brows furrowed.

Who is he? Do I know him? He’s not Orion...


My eyes dropped to his slightly agape mouth, and my blood ran cold. There, just visible beneath his upper lip, were the points of two fangs.

A vampire? But he can’t be. He looks so… human.

I thought of the creature I had faced only a few minutes ago, of its animal urge to kill me, and panic fluttered in my chest. In the few short years humans had known vampires existed, never had we seen one that looked exactly like a regular human being. The fact it could talk was stunning; I didn’t even know vampires could speak. Of the two I had faced, they both seemed hell-bent on ripping out my throat first.

Suddenly, the man – the vampire – in front of me seemed twice as dangerous as any monster I had encountered. And he had my pistol.

“What’s your name?” the man asked. His musical voice was cool and soft, and all the more frightening for it.

His thumb released just enough pressure that I could feel my voice box again, and I gulped for air. I had to get out of here and away from him however I could. A wild, irrational thought formed in my mind, and I tried to speak, my words strangled because I could barely breathe.

He leaned in. “What did you say?”

I looked up, a wicked smile on my face. “Trick-or-Treat,” I rasped.

Somehow, the man – or vampire, or whatever he was – had missed the dagger when he subdued me, most likely too focused on the pistol and thinking it to be my only weapon. I brought the dagger straight up, tip first with the serrated side facing out, with the aim of impaling him in the chin.
  


a Rafflecopter giveaway



This giveaway is open worldwide until 12:00 am CST 

on November 22, 2013. 



Friday, November 8, 2013

In Kelly's Corner Book Blitz: Guest Post and Giveaway with Roxie Rivera

Hi, everyone!



I am pleased to participate in the Book Blitz hosted by Xpresso Book Tours for Roxie Rivera's In Kelly's Corner.


About Roxie:

I like to write super sexy romances and naughty erotica that make your pulse pound. You can get updates on new releases by visiting my website, signing up for my newsletter or liking my author page on Facebook.

I also write erotic romances as Lolita Lopez including the red-hot GRABBED series for Ellora's Cave and the upcoming Dragon Heat series from Forever Yours/Grand Central.


CONNECT ONLINE WITH ROXIE: 


Welcome to Darlene's Book Nook, Roxie!

Roxie has written a guest post, so I will now turn the floor over to her.




Oh Brother!
by Roxie Rivera


For the Fighting Connollys series, I wanted to tell the stories of three brothers—Kelly, Jack and Finn Connolly—fighting to save their family legacy. After a rough childhood that included losing their mother and enduring their alcoholic, gambling addict father's abuse, the brothers joined the Marines and survived some truly harrowing moments while deployed multiple times. Each of the brothers lost something over there—a best friend, partial vision and a leg—and now they're trying to rebuild their lives.

The idea of writing about three emotionally and physically wounded alpha males was one I simply couldn't dismiss. Deciding to write about three brothers gave me the chance to explore some interesting themes—brotherhood, sibling rivalry, humor, guilt and even forgiveness. Throw in three love interests and some suspenseful action, and things get interesting very fast!

In Kelly's Corner is the first in a spinoff trilogy from my Her Russian Protector series. In the HRP universe, the heroes of the first four books share brother-like bonds forged in their very early years living in an orphanage. Ivan, Dimitri, Yuri and Nikolai came to Houston to start over and build better lives—and end up rescuing their damsels in distress from the Albanian mob, a Latin street gang, a shady real estate developers, a Mexican drug cartel and a madman hell-bent on usurping a certain mob boss' throne. Kelly, one of Dimitri's employees and Yuri's former bodyguard, finds himself facing some of those same foes—including two of the most notorious loan sharks in the city.

What can I say? Fictional Houston's underbelly is a pretty seedy but dangerously sexy place!

Thanks so much for joining us today, Roxie!



About the Book:


SERIES: Fighting Connollys, Book #1
AUTHOR: Roxie Rivera
PUBLICATION DATE: September 27, 2013
FORMAT: E-book, 220 pages
GENRE: Romantic Suspense

After a stalker breaks into her home, internet entrepreneur Bee Langston decides Kelly Connolly is the only man who can help her—but  seeking help from the former Marine isn’t easy, especially after she made a spectacular fool of herself trying to kiss the sinfully sexy bodyguard.

When Kelly spots Bee weaving her way through the Houston nightspot where he’s working security, all those feelings he’s desperately tried to deny for his best friend’s sister come flooding to the surface. He’ll do anything to keep her safe, even if means getting up close and personal with the one woman he simply can’t have.

Soon, Bee’s stalker isn’t his only problem. His gambling addict father is tangled in a mess of debts to two of Houston’s toughest loan sharks. With the family gym on the line, there’s only one way for Kelly to make everything right. He agrees to fight for the Albanian mob in an underground bare-knuckle fighting tournament.

But winning the tournament and saving his family’s legacy comes at a high price—one that just might cost Bee her life.

Buy Links:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble


Book Excerpt: 


"Where is Winn?"

Kelly's gruff, rumbling voice caught me by surprise. I whirled around to find him standing a few steps behind me. Wearing only shorts and sneakers, he wiped at his ridiculously sexy chest with a white gym towel before slinging it over his shoulder. The sight of his tanned, toned chest and the tattoos accentuating the rippling bulges of muscle left me momentarily speechless.

"Bee?"

Shaking myself from my lust-induced stupor, I said, "He's in the restroom. I sort of busted his nose."

He looked taken aback and then smiled proudly. "Way to go, sweetheart."

"Um…not exactly. It was an accident."

"An accident?"

"Well, it tickled and I started laughing—"

Eyes narrowed, he asked, "What tickled?"

"Winn's hold on me."

"I see." His lips twitched, and I knew he wasn't angry at all. Touching my cheek, he murmured, "I'll have to keep that in mind…for later."

At the mention of later, I trembled with anticipation. "Oh?"

"We'll practice some of the holds Jack showed you."

"Holds, huh?" I daringly traced his navel and delighted in the way he inhaled sharply. Thinking of the moves I had just learned, I considered whether or not I could take Kelly down. He was a foot taller than me and nearly twice as heavy. Could I catch him off-guard?

Deciding there was no time like the present, I hastily planned my attack. Kelly reached out to stroke my face, but I kicked out my leg to hook his knee. The expression on his face was comical as the realization that I was attacking him registered—but his lightning fast reflexes, honed by years at war, snapped into action.

I gasped as he snatched my ankle mid-air and jerked hard enough to pull me off my feet. The thick mat cushioned my fall. Kelly followed me down to the floor, attempting to trap me, but I twisted my hips and narrowly evaded him. My brief victory didn't last. He grabbed my wrists in one big paw and pinned them overhead before insinuating himself between my thighs.

Remembering Jack's lessons, I arched up onto my shoulders and tried to squeeze his ribs with my knees. Kelly shifted, and I ended up wrapping my legs around his waist. Our bodies locked together in such an intimate way. Suddenly my failed attack started to feel like foreplay.

Changing tactics, I hooked my ankles at the small of Kelly's back and rocked my body against his. His low groan sounded almost pained. Eyes flashing with need, he lowered his face and warningly growled, "Bee."

Breathless and shaking with desire, I whispered, "Kiss me."

He capitulated to my request and brushed his mouth against mine. Refusing to be denied what I wanted most, I thrust my aching breasts against his hot, hard chest and dipped my tongue between his lips. A rumbling noise emanated from his throat, vibrating against my lips and sending white-hot shivers through my core.

A loudly cleared throat interrupted our steamy kiss. Tearing away from each other, we glanced in the direction of the noise and discovered Jack standing a few feet away and watching us with amusement. The rest of the room was empty except for Winn, who seemed to have gotten his bloody nose under control.

Jack rubbed his jaw as if thinking. "You know, I'm pretty sure that's not a self-defense technique I teach."

Not the least bit embarrassed, I simply shrugged. "You'd have a hell of a lot more signups for your classes if you did."
  


a Rafflecopter giveaway


This giveaway is open worldwide until November 17, 2013. 



Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Valkyrie Series Book Blitz: Author Interview and Giveaway with T.G. Ayer

Hi, everyone!



I am pleased to participate in the Book Blitz hosted by Xpresso Book Tours for T.G. Ayer's Valkyrie Series.


About T.G.:

I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to recognise that reading was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first foray into the art of the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape, my haven. I am essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is impossible to practise given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my friends, my tea-makers, my confidantes… I am blessed with a husband who has left me for golf. It’s a fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both passionate supporters of each other's loves – it works wonderfully…

My heart is currently broken in two. One half resides in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still longs for the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer downpour. My love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been transplanted to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha, beautiful Maraes, and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly inspires. And because I am so torn between these two lands – I shall forever remain cross-eyed.
 

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Welcome to Darlene's Book Nook, T.G.!
What books did you love growing up?


Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden and the Hardy Boys of course; Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, The Lord of the Rings Series.


Who is your favorite author?

It’s a tie- Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Marion Zimmer Bradley.


What book genre of books do you adore?

Paranormal, fantasy and horror but I read everything – as long as the book holds my attention for the first ten pages I’ll read it.


How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?

It depends on where I am and what I have available. If I’m caught out its pen and notebook that I always have in my handbag. Mostly its my PC during the day, and my iPad at night if I’m writing in bed. If I do get away for the weekend or am away from the house for a few days it’s the laptop.


How often do you write? And when do you write?

I try to write every day. I think creativity in writing is like a muscle and if you stop using it it tends to get lazy. I try to do 3k a day and sometimes when I do want to push I do 5k a day. It’s a rush and can sometimes get crazy if I have edits happening at the same time but I love it more so because I hate the feeling when I can barely write 500 words in a day. Then I feel a little useless because I know I can do more.

I usually write first thing in the morning until lunchtime and sometimes I may come back to write a little more late at night when the household is asleep.


Do you find the time to read?

As a writer you must find time to read. I think reading is inspiration and most writers need the creative input of reading to boost their own creativity. At least it works that way for me. I find I’m most prolific in terms of plotting and writing when I make the time to read.


What inspires you to write and why?

Everything inspires me, especially people and culture. I’ve always been fascinated with the way the mind works so that’s something that I question a lot when I’m working on a project.


What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Definitely paranormal/fantasy. I love mythology and fables. I love the mystery of the possibility of the impossible.


Who designed the cover?

My cover artist Eduardo Priego.


Will you write others in this same genre?


Yes, definitely. I love writing YA and I especially love mythology. I already have a few stories to look at in terms of what’s next on my project list.


Where do you see yourself in five years?

Hopefully still writing and still loving it as much as I do now.


What contributes to making a writer successful?

If you apply yourself, set your goals, write those books and don’t be afraid of hard work success is waiting for you. And working at you craft is so very important. Writers are learning all the time, be open to learning new ways, new styles, new tricks. If you are happy to continue learning and being a better writer then you are on your way. It’s just a matter of working hard and writing well.


What do you do to unwind and relax?

A glass of wine and a good book at the end of the day, or dinner and a movie with DH to make it more special.


Do you have any special ways of handling/creating your world building?

 
 I don't really. It depends on the book. For some I've done mind-maps like for the DarkWorld I sketched a map out of the different parts or levels of the world and where the creatures and characters, what their powers were etc. But it's mostly just how I feel the flow. For the Valkyrie and the Kali series, the world building was very dependent on the mythology I drew from which was good and bad in its own way- easier but slightly restrictive.

 
What is the best thing about being a YA writer?
 
I'd have to say I don't see myself as only a YA author. I've written NA (Skin Deep, and Seals of Hades – still to be published), contemporary, horror, epic fantasy and psychological horror (all still to be published) and YA (Valkyrie and Kali series) so I will delve where the Muse takes me. That's probably the funnest thing for me- the ability to mess around in fantasy fiction and nobody can say you can or can't do that!

 
What is the worst thing about being a YA writer?
 
The worst thing I can see is there's so much to write, so many ideas and characters to get into manuscripts that it's sometimes hard to choose which one to get on to next!


Thanks for joining us today, T.G.! It was fun getting to know you better.


About the Series:

TITLE: Dead Radiance 
SERIES: Valkyrie, Book #1
AUTHOR: T.G. Ayer
PUBLISHER: Infinite Ink
PUBLICATION DATE: February 25, 2012
FORMAT: Paperback, 382 pages
GENRE: YA Paranormal
ISBN: 1469998165




Bryn Halbrook had always seen the glow. But it is only when her best friend dies that she discovers the meaning of those beautiful golden auras - Death. Alone, lost in the foster system, she struggles to understand who she is and why she was cursed with the ability to see the soon-to-be-dead.

The new foster kid, Aidan, isn't helping any. Mr. Perfect seems to fit in no matter what, making her feel even more pathetic. But when his affections turn to her, Bryn finds him hard to resist. Impossible actually. A mystery himself, Aidan disappears, leaving behind a broken heart and a mysterious book that suggests Bryn might not be entirely human. Bryn stands at the threshold of a journey of discovery. Will destiny help her find herself, find her purpose and her place in a world in which she'd never belonged?
Buy Link: 
Amazon 



TITLE: Dead Embers 
SERIES: Valkyrie, Book #2
AUTHOR: T.G. Ayer
PUBLISHER: Infinite Ink
PUBLICATION DATE: August 15, 2012
FORMAT: Paperback, 392 pages
GENRE: YA Paranormal
ISBN: 1481250272




Valkyrie-in-training Bryn Halbrook just can't catch a break. With her boyfriend stuck in Hel and the taunting laughter of Loki still ringing in her ears, she struggles to concentrate on her training and duties in Odin's realm. The last thing she expects or wants is more adventure—but then treachery, a shocking abduction and a chilling discovery send her forth on another perilous, globe-hopping mission.

As the ultimate battle, Ragnarok, draws closer, it's a race against time for Bryn, Fenrir and their team to discover who kidnapped her foster brother from the halls of Asgard and what's causing the mysterious deaths of so many of Odin's chosen warriors.

In the exciting sequel to Dead Radiance, Bryn encounters dwarfs and dragons, new friends and old foes—but the worst enemy of all may be the person she trusts most!
Buy Link: 
Amazon 



TITLE: Dead Chaos 
SERIES: Valkyrie, Book #3
AUTHOR: T.G. Ayer
PUBLISHER: Infinite Ink
PUBLICATION DATE: October 30, 2013
FORMAT: Paperback, 360 pages
GENRE: YA Paranormal
ISBN: To be announced




Valkyrie Bryn Halbrook is broken and damaged...

Struggling to accept the loss of her wings, Bryn's not sure if she can be a real Valkyrie anymore. But when a mysterious prophecy claims she will be the reason the All-Father dies, she is determined to ensure the prediction will not come to pass.

A visit to the three fates who live beneath the great Tree of life, sends Bryn racing against time to find the missing Heimdall and his horn. As Odin's life hangs in the balance and Ragnarok draws ever closer, Bryn has to find a way to save Heimdall and Odin before she can discover the truth about who she really is.

In the thrilling conclusion of the Valkyrie series Bryn must battle not only the formidable frost giants and the hated God Loki, but she must also find a balance between what she will lose and what she will gain.




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