Reader’s Edyn

I always felt like I could do something more than just read. Finally, I have found both a creative outlet and a chance to do something meaningful with my reading. This blog was created in appreciation of and tribute to all of the authors who have brought me joy through their books. These reviews are my way of giving back to authors and providing recognition for the hard work that each one completes every day!

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Interview & GIVEAWAY with author Kiersten Fay

Interview & GIVEAWAY with author Kiersten Fay




Welcome back everyone! Today I have an interview to share with you. We haven't had one in several days, so I though it would be a nice change of pace for today. Let's face it. Sometimes simple spotlights can get monotonous so I like to chance things up with the occasional guest post or interview. The interview featured today is also different. Rather than my typical interview questions, Ms. Fay has provided some questions that she answered which she thought readers would want to know more about. I hope you all enjoy your time spent here today. And don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY before you hop out today. There are several chances to win. Please join me in welcoming to the blog:



**KIERSTEN FAY**

**BIO**

Kiersten Fay is the author of the steamy paranormal romance series, Shadow Quest, which combines paranormal and sci-fi romance and is loosely based on mythology and lore. Like many authors, she loves creating new worlds with the power of her mind, along with brooding alpha males and strong, yet vulnerable, female leads.

In 2012, she received a nominated for favorite author of 2012 via gravetells.com, and that same year, won Favorite Story of August for Demon Retribution, the third book in her Shadow Quest series. Before becoming an author, Kiersten worked as a graphic designer, and now enjoys creating her own book covers.

You can find out more about Ms. Fay in the following places:










**DEMON POSSESSION**
**Shadow Quest, Book 1**

Genre: Paranormal / Sci-fi Romance
Publisher: Kiersten Fay Productions
Date of Publication: April 19, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-9835733-0-2
ASIN: B004X6R8Y8
Number of pages: 383
Word Count: 110,000
Cover Artist: Kiersten Fay



**BLURB**
After being enslaved on the spaceship Extarga for most of her life Analia has no memory of her life before, and has lost all knowledge of her people. Her mysterious gift and pointed ears are the only indication that she is different.

Analia is alone, and for all she knows, she's the last of her kind. By chance Analia escapes her captors, and hides herself on the merchant ship Marada, planning to get off at the very next stop.

Unfortunately for her, there is no next stop. The crew is planning a delivery that could take months, and according to a stipulation in the newly signed contract, no one is allowed on or off the ship until the package is delivered.

When Analia is found by the  captain of the Marada, she must adapt to her new role on the ship, and try to control her newly awakened desire for the brutal and devastatingly erotic demon.

Buy Link



**INTERVIEW**

While writing Demon Possession, what did you use for inspiration?
Wine. Just kidding. Not really. There was a lot that inspired me, not only through Demon Possession, but through the whole Shadow Quest series. Growing up, I was very into supernatural and sci-fi shows, as well as various anime flicks (I’m not talking about the tame Saturday morning cartoons). I’ve combined visual elements from these sources to create my Shadow Quest world.
I also read books like popping M&Ms. Anything from YA to Fiction to romance. I’m sure that each story I come across, or style of writing influences me just a little.

Why space?
Answer 1: That’s where the story took me.
Answer 2: Even though I consider the series to be more paranormal romance than sci-fi, I wanted the freedom to create something completely new without preconceived restrictions born of Earth. Making all my characters from different planets gave me that freedom, and offers a unique spin on a genre that can get repetitive for us hardcore junkies.

Which Character in Demon Possession is your favorite?
I’m not sure if I can truly pick a favorite because I love them all. While writing the story, I’ve been each of them at one point or another. It might be easier to pick a favorite child, if I had a pair, that is. Each character’s purpose and personality works in unison to coalesce the story, and the story would have suffered if even one had been left out.

There was an intense scene in the beginning of the book where Analia thinks she’s about to die. How was that to write?
It was very despairing actually. I had to put myself in a dark place where hope goes to die. I’ll admit, my eyes leaked more than once during the telling of her story. Before she met Sebastian, she lived a life you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. Most of the readers I speak to say they love watching Analia take her life back with the help of Sebastian and his crew.

There’s such a cornucopia of creatures in Demon Possession, from, of course, demons to a unique spin on fairies and other alien creatures. What other sorts of creatures can we expect to encounter in the series?
I have endless ideas in the works, all of it very hush, hush. However, I can say that in the next few books, dragon shifters and witches make an appearance. Book 2, Demon Slave, explores Undewla, an ice planet. The strange creatures and people who inhabit it were incredibly fun to create.

What are you working on now?
Though I’m not finished with Shadow Quest, I’ve started a couple other projects. One is a spin-off involving the dragons, and the other is new series that will include vampires. I’m very excited to see what the fans think of them when they’re published. Thanks for having me, and be sure to check out my books at my WEBSITE.

Now how about a little taste of DEMON POSSESSION?


**EXCERPT**
By reading any further you are stating you are at least 18 years of age.
If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary for you to exit this site.

Anya watched Sebastian from the corner of her eye as he went to work cleaning away the blood. He was focused and intent on his task, but couldn't seem to stop touching her in little ways. Softly brushing her hair, her shoulder, her hip. Was he checking her for further injuries? It seemed more intimate than that. It was almost as if he didn't even realize he was doing it.

His tenderness with her was astonishing. While he was focused on wiping the blood from her cut, Anya allowed herself to study him closer. He seemed calm now, though his energy was still erratic.

When he had first returned, still resembling the monster, it had terrified her. He'd still been enraged, much more so, it seemed. And not for the first time, she'd thought he might hurt her.

But when his eyes had found hers, he'd visibly relaxed, instantly morphing back into the Bastian she recognized.

With a gentleness contradictory to the man standing before her, he cleaned her wound. By his soft pats and concerned looks, she knew now that he would never hurt her. She felt silly for ever thinking otherwise. He'd shown her nothing but kindness from the beginning.

You're not frightened of me anymore?” he asked without averting his gaze from the cut on her cheek.

He was almost completely back to normal now. His horns were returning to their original dark black, and his fangs had receded. Thinking back to his other form, she couldn't muster the terror it had inspired in the first place. “No,” she said simply.

So easily?”

You make it hard to fear you, Sebastian, when you treat me the way you do.”

And how's that then?”

Like you would never hurt me, no matter how angry you are, or how much you might want to.”

His golden eyes locked on hers with such intensity it stole her breath. “I would never want to hurt you.” Cupping her face, he rubbed his thumb along her unmarked cheek. “I could never hurt you. If anything ever happened to you, I fear I will be trapped on the Edge forever.” Leaning in, he lightly kissed her bruise. “I think of you constantly.” He kissed her forehead. “Always.” Then with the lightest touch, he kissed her lips.

With words so sweet, Anya couldn't help but lean into him. This wasn't the demanding kiss from before. This was soft, smooth, tender. This time he allowed her to explore him at her leisure. His lips were soft and warm, molded to hers, and she caressed them.

Her second real kiss ever was turning out to be the most erotic experience of her life. Sebastian was watching her with his liquid gold eyes, filled with restrained lust as he let her place soft kisses on him.

When she darted out her tongue, he dropped his hands to her hips, his body wedging between her legs. The second time she darted her tongue to lick his sweet lips, he opened, his tongue meeting hers.

From deep within him, she heard the rumblings of a satisfied groan. The mere sound stroked her own lust, and she instinctively dug her nails into his shoulders. Liquid pooled between her legs. Bastian's grip tightened in her hips.

Let me taste you,” he grated.



**TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY**

1.       $25 gift certificate to Amazon

2.       A signed copy of Demon Possession (US only)

3.       An ebook copy of Demon Possession






Yikes! Sounds like a demon I wouldn't mind getting to know more about. Darn demons. So forbidden yet irresistable ... in most cases anyway. So I wouls absolutely love to hear from you all. This book was published a couple of years ago, so chance are that someone here has read it or at least one of the books in the series. Can you tell me about it? And if this author or series is new to you, well no worries ... simply comment on any part of this post that you choose.

I would like to thank Ms. Fay for being here with us today and for taking the time to complete the interview. I love interviews because you always get that extra little bit of a glimpse into the author's life. And a special thanks to all of my followers who keep coming back for more. You all make this blog beyond worth it. And remember, if you were caught by what you experienced here today, please consider buying this book or series for yourself. It is, after all, the best way to show your support toward this author.

I hope that you all enoyed your time spent with us today. Thanks so much for stopping in. And don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY before you leave. You have nothing to lose except a chance to win! I wish all who enter the best of luck! I hope that you all have a fabulous day! I will be seeing you again very soon. But until then ...
HAPPY READING!!!



Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Spotlight BLITZ with author Hailey Edwards

Spotlight BLITZ with author Hailey Edwards




Welcome back everyone! Today I have something a little different for you. I do not generally go after the fantasy romance books, but I was intrigued by this cover and – being from Samhain and having really good luck with what I have read from this publisher – I wanted to find out more. Having very little under my belt in the way of FantRom, I will be learning all about this book and author right along with this post. I am hoping one or more of you will be able to help me further by commenting on this post. Additionally, today's stop is part of a release day BLITZ. Basically that means the today is the release day for this particular book and that several blogs will be hosting this book and author. Therefore, you have seen, or will see, this post again today. Whether you have or have not, I always look forward to feedback, so please consider commenting whether this book is new to you or not. I am looking forward to learning more, so please help me welcome to the blog:




**HAILEY EDWARDS**


**BIO**

Born in the Deep South, Hailey is a lifelong resident of Alabama. Her husband works for the local sheriff’s department and her daughter is counting down the days until she’s old enough to audition for American Idol. Their dachshund, Poochie, helps Hailey write by snoozing on his dog bed in her office.

Her desire to explore without leaving the comforts of home fueled her love of reading and writing. Whenever the itch for adventure strikes, Hailey can be found with her nose glued to her Kindle’s screen or squinting at her monitor as she writes her next happily-ever-after.

She loves to hear from readers. Drop her a line here.

You can also swing by her blog or subscribe to her newsletter for all her latest news.

You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.

You can find out more about Ms. Edwards in the following places:








**A TIME OF DYING**
**Araneae Nation, Book 3**

Genre: Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Date of Publication: July 30, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-61921-660-0
ASIN: B00BP5FWN4
Number of pages: 249
Word Count: 75k
Cover Artist: Kanaxa


**BLURB**

They just might survive…if they don’t kill each other first.

Once the future Segestriidae maven, Kaidi lived a privileged life. Now she spends her nights haunting cities ravaged by the plague. Spade in hand, she stalks rows of freshly dug graves for corpses…and then she takes their heads.

Her new life is caked in blood and spattered with gore, but it’s hers. At least until—to her fury—she’s caught napping.

A plague survivor by the skin of his teeth, Murdoch risks his neck to solve the mysteries left in its wake. Bodies have gone missing. Guards have left their posts and never returned home.

When he rouses a female dozing among the dead, he’s unprepared for the violence of her response. Or his. Beneath the grime, she’s lovely. Too bad the blood under her fingernails belongs to his clansmen.

He has no choice but to follow this alluring creature deeper into her world of winged beasts and flesh-eating monsters. She holds the knowledge he craves, but the price is high—and they may both pay for it with their lives.

Warnings: This book contains one heroine in desperate need of a bath and one hero willing to wash away her sins. Expect threats, swears and general cursing. Love is a slippery slope, and these two are sliding.


Buy Link






**EXCERPT**
By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age.
If you are under the age of 18, please exit this site.


CHAPTER ONE

Freckled skin gave beneath my spade as I angled its honed point at the hollow of some poor female’s throat. Milky eyes bored into mine when I braced my foot on the spade’s tread, shifting my weight, bearing down until the blade sliced through her slender neck, tearing flesh and crunching bone. Her lips parted on a gasp, or perhaps I imagined that flicker of awareness before I snuffed her final remnants. Gods knew I hoped it was only guilt picking at scabs on my weary conscious.
The death of even one innocent would break me, if any scrap of the old Kaidi remained.
Tossing the spade aside, I wiped sweat from my brow and bent to check her pockets, finding them as empty as my own. No coin meant going another day without food. Not that I had much of an appetite after this, but I couldn’t live on stale water for much longer. Soon I would need a hot meal and a safe place to rest, if one still existed.
Gaze skimming the grassy field littered with the corpses of plague victims, I had my doubts.
Exhaustion bore me to my knees. I was too tired to wince when one knee cracked on a loose stone. My chin hit my chest, and my eyes shut. The pulse of pain, of hunger, of regret, lulled me.
One minute lapsed, then two. Any moment I would rise. Any time now…
The press of cold metal against my throat shocked me awake.
“I’ll have your name, female.” The booming masculine voice made my head throb.
“I hope not.” I ignored the blade and rubbed my eyes clear. “It would sound silly on a male.”
More pressure made breathing without cutting my neck difficult. “Tell me your name.”
I rolled around a few choices before saying, “Imani.”
His grunt called me on my lie. Interesting. Usually they couldn’t tell.
He nudged me with his boot. “What’s your purpose here?”
I shrugged. “The same as my purpose elsewhere, I imagine.”
Grasping my upper arm, he hauled me onto my feet and spun me to face him. I stifled a gasp when I met the pitch-black eyes informing me that I had run afoul of a Mimetidae warrior. I had tracked the plague to Cathis, the Mimetidae’s clan home, but had I been in my right mind, a state I barely recalled these days, I would have avoided their borders and continued on to the next city.
Contrary to my actions these past few months, I did not have a death wish.
Thinly leashed anger radiated through his tightened fingers. “You play a dangerous game.”
“You have no idea,” I murmured, while measuring the distance from here to the forest.
His gaze trailed after mine. “You won’t make it.”
“So you say.” I struggled until he released me, then I hit the ground like a sack of stones.
“If you can’t stand, then you can’t run.” He sheathed his weapon, turning to appraise my long night’s work by the dawn’s soft glow. “Care to explain this?” He gestured toward the headless corpse. “Or those?”
I forced myself to count victims—sixteen females and one male for good measure.
My laugh was rusty. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
His brow creased. “Try me.”
I fisted a palm’s worth of loose dirt. “Well, it’s like this…”
When he folded his arms over his chest, away from that lovely sword of his, and inclined his head, waiting, I exhaled hard and prayed the gods gave my feet wings. His frown cut deeper, lips parting on his next demand, when I gathered my nerve and flung the contents of my hand at him.
“What in the gods’ names—” He staggered back, blinking in surprise.
Shoving to my feet, I bolted past him, snagged my spade and ran for the safety of the trees. His bellow of rage made my heart race and chest tighten. Those were not the sounds of a happy male. No, they were the sounds of a male preparing to rend a female in two, if he could catch her.
Scenery blurred as I ran harder, faster, until my foot rung a hole and I tumbled onto all fours. I was halfway to standing when the male burst into the small clearing, head lifted, nostrils flared.
“Move,” he warned, “and we’ll see if your head comes off as easy as theirs did.”
Turning my head slowly, I noticed his arms were out, but his sword remained tethered at his hip as if he didn’t want to harm me. Pity. Once I might have appreciated his misguided chivalry. Now I saw it for the weakness it was. I was female, but I was not soft. Not my heart, and not my arms. They were lean and muscled from digging up graves, as firm and cold as the ground where I had buried my mother, my sisters and cousins, all the members of my family but one, my uncle.
I did this for them, as practice for the day we met again and I added their names to my tally.
Can’t kill what’s already dead, I reminded myself.
While my thoughts churned over each other, the male took a step, and I tightened my grip on the spade. Before he got near enough to lay his hands on me, I twisted on my side and swung my weapon. The flat side cracked against his jaw, popping his neck as his head twisted. In a daze, he faced me, eyes whirling. Staggering back, he smeared the blood welling from his smashed cheek.
Scrambling out of his reach, I clawed my way upright, and a heartbeat later I was running. I barely dared to hope I might escape him unscathed when an impact knocked me against a tree. Ears ringing, I clamped my head between my hands and focused on not vomiting as the world lurched beneath me. A second hit from behind sent me tumbling onto the ground and burst my lip.
I wheezed when my attacker collapsed across my back, crushing the air from my lungs.
“I can’t…breathe.” My sight tunneled, turning hazy around the edges.
His low growl rumbled against my spine. “That makes two of us.”
Strong hands grasped my shoulders and flipped me onto my back. Before I brought my knee up to greet his tender parts, the male straddled my legs and sat on my shins, pinning me in place. His fingers dug into my collarbones, and the twist of his lips told me that if he had another set of hands, my wrists would be shackled too. Luckily for me, he didn’t, and I knew what I had to do.
I brought the spade up, but seconds from contact, he noticed. Wrenching the handle from my grasp, he flung it so far I lost sight of it. He lowered his head until his blood dripped on my chin. His breath was hot and hissed between his teeth. His expression sent fear shivering up my spine.
I swallowed hard. “Please—”
His palm sealed the plea in my mouth. “Save your lies for those who might believe them.”
Trapped beneath a snarling male who stood a head taller than me, three times wider than me, I had no choice but to obey. He was battered, his judgment clouded, and I knew I would outlast him.
“Those eyes—that hair—” His gaze narrowed on my left ear. “You’re Segestriidae.”
A name I could falsify. The golden hair and lavender eyes common to my clansmen, those I had no way to alter. Failing those telling signs, there was the clear quartz crystal suspended from my earlobe by a golden strand of Araneidae silk. The expense of that silk confirmed my identity. If their nigh-unbreakable silk made the Araneidae the wealthiest clan in the Araneae Nation, then the craftsmanship of mine made us almost equals in worth. Our skill with crystals was unrivaled.
To possess the appearance of the Segestriidae and indicators of my status was foolhardy.
Vanity kept me clinging to one while desperation made me reliant on the other. At least I had the good sense to travel with the matching necklace concealed. Bad enough to be a lone female on the road. That earned me unwanted attention. But if my fellow rogues had coveted the earring, they would have gutted me for the pendant.
Behind my captor’s eyes, I imagined his mind at work puzzling out my identity. My clothes were heavy and meant for travel, dyed soot black because I hunted my prey after the sun had set.
Briefly, I wished for his midnight hair and eyes. How well he must complement the night.
After a moment’s hesitation, he wiped the blood from my mouth with a cloth pulled from his pocket. When he finished, he inhaled my scent, and dread tightened my stomach. The Mimetidae were trackers, the lot of them. What I had given him was a means of locating me should I escape.
While tucking away his prize, his gaze never left mine. “Why are you on Mimetidae land?”
I mumbled against his hand, and he removed it. “Let me go.”
His eyes crossed. “I asked you a question.”
“Why bother answering when we both know I won’t tell you the truth?”
“I suspected as much, but as you’re female, I thought to give you the benefit of the doubt.”
“Well,” I countered, “as you’re male, I thought honesty and small words were prudent.”
A tic started beneath his right eye. “You’re insulting me.”
The seriousness of his expression made me laugh. “You’re a quick one, you are. Did you enjoy the chase?” I winked at him. “Set me on my feet and we can have another go.”
“I prefer you just as you are…” he shifted his hips, “…flat on your back.”
His words dried the spit from my mouth. All the ways this encounter could end poorly—for me—spun wild through my head. Though the guard’s heavy thighs pinned mine together, he was not aroused. That realization somewhat eased my mind. Now if he would only stay uninterested.
When he slid his hands down my body, then up my waist and over my breasts, I launched my fist at his bloodied jaw, but he swatted aside my arm.
“Calm yourself.” He went still, his face earnest. “I would never harm a female in that way. I must search you for more weapons. Understand?”
I nodded as if I believed that was all he was after.
“What’s this?” His patting had located my necklace. When he fished it from my shirt, his eyes widened. “I’ve never seen such a large crystal. The setting…” he turned it over in his hand, “…it’s solid gold.” He wasn’t asking. He didn’t have to. What would be the point of using such a remarkable stone but denying it an equally elegant setting? He breathed, “This must be worth a small fortune.”
His tone implied I must have stolen it. In fact, it had been a gift from my betrothed, a bauble as beautiful as it was lethal.
Qualities Hishima had once ascribed to me.
“It was a gift from my uncle.” I wasn’t stretching the truth too far. The earring had truly been a gift from Ghubari, a match to the impressive novelty my betrothed had given me. “Please let me keep it. Better yet, let me go.”
“If I did, where would you go?” He glanced up, then back at me. “What would you do? Find another field of bodies to desecrate? Loot more poor souls bound for the Above?” His expression mirrored his repulsed tone as he shoved the pendant back into my shirt. “Have you not a decent bone in your body that you violate the dead?”
“You don’t know me.” My morals had been abandoned for the sake of survival.
“I know enough.” He pushed to his feet and took me with him. “Come on. Let’s go. You can keep the necklace until my paladin says otherwise.”
My palms turned sweaty. “Where are you taking me?”
“Has it slipped your recollection that you’ve mutilated our dead? That offense is punishable by five years imprisonment, and assaulting one of the city’s guards has earned you another five.”
“They were dead.” At least they were as far as he knew. “What does it matter to them?”
“They have family that will come to pay their respects and find their loved ones hacked into pieces and the silver tokens placed upon their eyes pocketed by the female who did the cutting.”
Shame prickled my skin, but I held my head high while he dragged me toward the city. Near the bodies stood a second male, whose short blond hair was so filthy it almost matched his mud-brown eyes. His frame was heavy with muscle, his shoulders as wide as the ursus northlanders rode.
He paused in his deliberation and jerked his chin my way. “Did that little thing do all this?”
My captor rubbed his discolored jawline. “All that and more.”
The blond smirked. “You taking her to Vaughn?”
“No.” His grip on me tightened. “The paladin has weightier matters on his mind.”
Paladin Vaughn? No, that couldn’t be right. The maven here was his mother, Isolde. She had ruled the Mimetidae since the death of her husband, since before I was born. Unless the plague…
“That’s the truth of it.” The blond male scrubbed a meaty hand over his head.
“Finish up, then check the perimeter.” He tugged me closer. “Her kind rarely travels alone.”
He was right about that. Most future paladins, especially Hishima, refused to let their future wives leave their clan home unguarded. What would this male say if I presented my necklace as a token from my once-beloved as proof of what my kind was? How would he react once he realized that I was the future maven of the Segestriidae? His scowl made me believe that neither the scrap of parchment bearing Father’s crest nor Hishima’s letters tucked into my pocket would sway his determination to see me punished, so I studied my captor and our surroundings as the males wagged their tongues.
“Get on with you, then.” The blond knelt and resumed whatever task we had interrupted.
A hard tug on my arm sent me stumbling. “Are you trying to yank my arm from its socket?”
The brute loosened his grip a fraction. “Stop dragging your feet.”
Out of spite, I was tempted to dig in my heels and make him haul me every step into Cathis. But I wanted freedom more, so I hurried along while slipping a hand into my shirt to grasp the pendant. With a firm jerk, I broke the silken chain’s metal clasp then shoved my hand into my pocket. My fingernail slid along the topmost edge, where the stone met its metal setting. A push of my thumb broke the seal and left me holding the crystal sheath while the petite dagger it had concealed dropped into my pocket. Careful of the blade’s razor edges, I grasped the short hilt in my palm.
“What will you do with me?” Sad to say, I had some idea. “Will it involve seasoning salts?”
He glanced back, his eye twitching again. “We do not partake of the flesh of our prisoners.”
Hit a tender spot, had I? Perhaps I ought to jab harder to prod a reaction from him.
“Ah. Well, that’s a comfort. I had heard Mimetidae consumed the flesh of their enemies. I’m relieved you said even my kind is exempt from your kind’s indelicate predilections for eating—”
He whirled around so fast, I yelped in surprise. Grasping my shirt, he reeled me hard against him. “What else have you heard? That we find the screams of helpless females intoxicating? Or a favorite of mine—how we peel the skin from our victims, dry the meat in strips to savor it later?”
I blanched when our chests bumped and his head lowered. I had what I wanted—his reaction was whip-sharp and furious. Riling him proved he was as far removed from Segestriidae males I had known as the moon was from the sun. He was no gentle craftsman. He was fierce, a warrior.
My knees quaked, but I stood my ground. “I don’t believe everything I hear.”
“In this case…” his eyes glittered, eager for truth to burn my ears, “…perhaps you should.”
By the time a scornful retort had readied itself, he had given me his back. I let my gaze slide over him while I deliberated, the broad expanse of his muscled shoulders coaxing my eyes lower.
No time to be squeamish. While he was distracted, I had to strike. I had to break free of him.
Tightening my fist around the dagger’s hilt, I slipped it from my pocket. Its tip wavered as if it were a divining rod, angling toward his weak spots. I had never sunk a blade in a living person.
But since he had no intention of granting me freedom, I would seize it for myself.
Death awaited me in Cathis. If not in the teeth of his clansmen, then at the hands of mine.
Steeling my nerves, I brought my arm across my body. My wrist rested on my shoulder for a moment before I used all my strength to bury the blade deep in the tender meat above his left hip.
My captor howled, and I struggled to break his grip on one arm while twisting the knife with the other. When pain brought him to his knee, I shoved him, retrieving my dagger and toppling him to the dirt on his back.
Guilt and relief made me lightheaded as I pocketed the blade and sprinted for the forest. The fallen male’s furious shouts would set his friend on my trail for certain. I had to hurry. I had to—
Bones popped in my shoulder when a wall of muscle slammed me against a tree. Thick arms banded about my waist and cut off my air. Gasping, I squirmed and kicked, but the blond giant held tight. He lifted me, tucking me under his arm as if I were a bedroll. With my arms pinned, I threw my leg to trip him. He caught that too and swung me high on his hip as he would a child.
Blood heated my cheeks when he smirked at me. “Nice try, but I’m one tree you won’t fell.” To prove his point, he trapped both my ankles at his hip with one hand while the other supported me by crushing me so tight against his side his lungs might have been supplying the air for mine.
“Shouldn’t you see to your friend?” I twisted my head, the only part of me I could move, but I saw no sign of the male I had stabbed. The field was littered with bodies, but none of them his.
“Murdoch?” The behemoth grinned. “He’s not my friend.” He chuckled at something behind me, and I dreaded what lurked past my shoulder. “Female, I don’t think he’s your friend, either.”
“I’ll take her from here, Lleu,” a familiar voice grated near my ear.
“You sure?” The giant squeezed until I gasped. “Shouldn’t you get sewn up first?”
“I’m sure.” Murdoch wrenched my arms behind my back. “Do you have your hawser?”
A tense pause stretched between them. “Always.”
Murdoch held out his hand. “May I use it to secure the prisoner?”
“Use this instead.” The blond tossed him a length of black thread that made Murdoch frown.
He ran the thick, knobby silk rope through his fingers. “You’re a male of many talents.”
His friend waggled his eyebrows at me. “So the females tell me.”
After binding my wrists, Murdoch smoothed his thumb over the stump of my missing ring finger. I cringed when he touched it. The first two joints were missing, and his caress of what remained felt too intimate somehow. I was grateful he showed me the small mercy of not asking about it, but resumed his task. He pried my legs from Lleu’s grip and crossed my ankles to hobble me before he knotted the rope. Lleu was all that held me upright while Murdoch searched me. This time his efforts produced the bloody dagger and its crystal sheath, which he kept.
Assured I was unarmed, he slung me over his shoulder. My face hit a wet spot on his lower back, and I recoiled from the blood turning his worn shirt brown. The wound splashed crimson over his tan skin, and the stain kept growing.
He must be in terrible pain. I wasn’t being wholly facetious when I offered, “I can walk.”
“Very fast,” he said, “and in the opposite direction of where I want you to go.”
Huffing hair from my eyes, I glared at his arse, figuring it was the same as arguing to his face. “Release me.” When he grunted, I promised, “I’m more trouble than I’m worth, Murdoch.”
His shoulders tensed at my use of his name, but he continued on without comment.
“You will regret this.” We both would if Hishima got word. “Put me down, please.”
“There.” He winced when he set me on my feet. “You’re down.” He reached into his pocket and produced the cloth he’d wiped my face with earlier. “Open your mouth.” He waited. “Now.”
My eyes rounded. “You can’t be—”
He crammed the cloth into my mouth too fast for me to even bite him. After hefting me over his shoulder again, this effort costing him a muttered oath, Murdoch lumbered on toward Cathis.
Chortling sounds made me lift my head. Lleu sauntered past me, a grin splitting his face. He tipped his head when our eyes met. I narrowed mine, which appeared to amuse him all the more.
Let him smile.
If Hishima found me at long last, his retribution would be no laughing matter.



So what do you all think? A helluva beginning if I do say so myself. A TIME OF DYING is book 3 in this series, so I am thinking that there has to be someone here who has read the previous book, or at least one of them. Clue me in. Tell me what you can about this series, this author, and this book. If the series is new to you, then feel free to comment on any part of this post. Your feedback is always welcome.

I would like to thank Ms. Edwards for being here today and allowing this BLITZ to take place. I hope that you all had as much fun as I did learning about this brand new release. Thanks to all of my loyal followers who keep coming back and making this blog thrive. You all hold a special place with me. If anyone was caught by what they experienced here today, please consider purchasing a copy of this book(s) for yourself to show support to this author. I wish everyone a fabulous day and I will be seeing you all again soon, but until then ...
HAPPY READING!!!




Monday, July 29, 2013

Spotlight and GIVEAWAY with author Victoria Danann

Spotlight and GIVEAWAY with author Victoria Danann



Welcome back everyone. I had a few days with nothing scheduled for the blog, so I took time to get things in order around the house and with the blog. I still have a bunch to do, but I am making progress at least. Today I am back with author Victoria Danann. I featured Ms. Danann a while back ago with a guest post with the first three books in the saga featured. So today, I wanted to continue on and take the opportunity to tell you all about the fourth installment that is now available. I hope you all enjoy finding out more about this intriguing series.

And for those of you who missed the first three installments, you can visit my previous post by clicking here. And there is even a GIVEAWAY with two chances to win: one on the blog and one that is tour wide. So be sure to enter before you leave today!

Please all ow me to welcome back to the blog:




**VICTORIA DANANN**


**BIO**

If you're looking for something new and different in PNR, you've come to the right place.

I write unapologetic romances with uniquely fresh perspectives on paranormal creatures, characters, and themes. Add a dash of scifi and a flourish of fantasy to enough humor to make you laugh out loud and enough steam to make you squirm in your chair. My heroines are independent femmes with flaws and minds of their own whether they are aliens, witches, demonologists, psychics, or past life therapists. My heroes are hot and hunky, but they also have brains, character, and good manners - usually - whether they be elves, demons, berserkers, werewolves, or vampires.

My first book, My Familiar Stranger, was nominated for Best Paranormal Romance of 2012 by the Reviewers' Choice Awards. Each of my books has remained on the Amazon best seller list in category every day since release. All three also earned the Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK award.

My work has been compared to J R Ward, Karen Marie Moning, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Lara Adrian. For example:

"I do see shades of Lara Adrian's Breed books and shades of J R Wards Black Dagger books, but this story is unique enough that it stands out all on its own and can stand up along side those other books and I think given time will elbow them out of the way with the rich story telling and deep emotional core that makes you want to know more." - Kerry, Musings of a Bookworm

The Order of the Black Swan is a series that is also a serial saga. Each book is an episodic installment in an ongoing story. Join me for the adventure.

-Victoria
You can find out more about Ms. Danann in the following places:




**MOONLIGHT: THE BIG BAD WOLF**
**The Black Swan Saga, Installment 4**

Genre: paranormal romance, fantasy romance, scifi romance
Pages: 386
Isbn: 978-1-933320-69-4

This is the 4th installment in a serial saga. Reading in order is STRONGLY recommended. The first three e-books are available in box set everywhere.


**BLURB**
WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR LOVE?

The story continues to touch on the lives of former B Team members and their families while new characters and situations are introduced.

THE NEWSLETTER: Ram and Elora move into temporary quarters at Jefferson Unit to protect mother and baby. Storm gives a surprising answer when he’s tapped by Sol to replace him as Jefferson Unit Sovereign. Litha solicits her father to help Black Swan.

THE SURPRISE: B Team learns the shocking truth about the origin of the vampire virus. Monq races to develop a defense system to repel invasion by Stagsnare terrorists and assassins.

THE ADVENTURE: Desperation drives Stalkson Grey to embark on an adventure beyond his wildest dreams in a bid to save the Elk Mountain werewolves from extinction.

THE ROMANCE: In the process of migrating the Elk Mountain werewolves to a new home, Grey learns that true love can find you in the strangest places, even when you’re far, far from home.

Appropriate for 17+.
Buy Links








Black Swan Collected Tales, Books 1-3. 313,000 words. $5.99
(Only books 1-3, Moonlight not included in this pricing)





**EXCERPT**
By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age.
If you are under the age of 18, please exit this site.

Glen was giving Blackie a goodbye rough and tumble.
"Not in my living room," Elora said on her way past with her arms full of stuff the baby might need on the plane. She set the load down by the front door, looked around nervously, and pulled Glen aside looking like a woman with conspiracy on her mind. She spoke in a tone that was barely above a whisper. "I need you to do something for me on the down low."
"The down low?"
"Um. Yes. What do they call it here when you're off the record?"
"Off the record."
Elora let out a breath. "Okay. Off the record..."
"Which record are we off?"
"Let's start over. Between you and me..."
"Okay."
"Glen. Shut up." He chuckled. "You're messing with me, aren't you?" He grinned.
"Enough. Limited time here." He nodded.
"I need you to find out everything you can about the elf/fae war."
"Why?"
"Great Paddy, Glen."
"Okay. What exactly are you after?"
"How it started. See if you can find a reliable source - either a primary reference or an authority who knows for sure."
"You got it, boss."
"What has he got?" Ram came in carrying another load of stuff the baby might need on the plane, wearing his damn extra-sensitive elf ears.
"Just getting Glen to keep an eye on my puppies. Like we talked about."
Ram nodded, opened the front door, and started carrying Helm's busload of necessities to the Range Rover.
"Scary," Glen whispered to Elora.
"What?"
"How easily you lied to him and how genuine it sounded."
"Yeah, well, keep that in mind if you ever get married."
"I'm starting to recognize the appeal of bachelorhood."
Elora pinned him with a look. "Seriously, I would never lie to him if it wasn't to protect someone."
"You're protecting somebody?"
"Yes. I'm protecting them. I'm protecting him. And I'm protecting them from him."
"I'll find out what you want to know."
Elora gave him her high beam smile. "You're the best."
"Is payment involved?"
"Yes. Here it is." She kissed him on the cheek just as Ram came back through the front door.
"Catch! Stop cruisin' my wife and help me move the entire inventory of Babes R Us to the armored tank."



**GIVEAWAY**
Blog GIVEAWAY. Black Swan Collected Tales,
Books 1-3 (epub or mobi)
Tour Wide GIVEAWAY: Three sets signed paperbacks. Books 1-4.

I hope you all enjoyed the post! What I would really enjoy is to get your feedback. Feel free to leave a comment below about anything pretaining to this post. Have you read Ms. Danann before? What about this series? If not, are you likely to read it? Your comments are always welcome and appreciated!

I want to thank Ms. Danann for taking the time to join us again today. It is always a pleasure. And a special thanks to all of you who keep coming back for more. You all make the work I do on the blog so worth it! I hope that everyone enjoyed their time spent here today. If you found this post intriguing, please consider purchasing a copy of the book(s) for yourself and showing this author support. Thanks so much for stopping by! Be sure to enter the GIVEAWAY before you hop out. You have nothing to lose except a chance to win! I wish all who enter the best of luck! Have a wonderful day and I will be seeing you all very soon! Until then ...
HAPPY READING!!!