Urban Fantasy Archives - Page 12 of 15

Apr 25th Interview Chris Stoneheart Author of Unhuman Light

Give a warm welcome to Chris Stoneheart, author of Unhuman Light! Released February 7, 2019.

Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Chris’ Unhuman Light, book on of the Chronicles of the Light.

What inspired this particular story?

This world has been in my head for decades, in one form or another. When you look at the old mythologies, sometimes you can see how old tales from different civilizations are the same story as seen from a different culture. Jupiter and Zeus are the most obvious example, but there are a thousand others. However, in some mythologies, things seem contradictory. The vampire myths, for example. To me, it seems as if there are multiple kinds of vampire, else the mythologies don’t work. So, my story has three species of vampire. Two of the species “die” at dawn, the other can choose when to sleep or be awake but can’t handle direct sunlight. All of them drink blood, of course. One species is evil — the changing process turns them into a monster. The other two can decide whether to be good, evil, or something in between.

Where do your story ideas come from? If they come to you in the middle of the night, do you get up and write them all down?

If an idea comes to me in the middle of the night, I reach for my phone and send myself an email using the speech-to-text feature. More ideas come to me when driving than any other time though, and at least once a week I have to pull over and send myself an email. If I don’t, it’s probably gone forever.

Do you see yourself in your characters?

Write what you know, right? I put pieces of myself into characters, and pieces of family and friends, too. I was once a professional juggler, for instance, and Kaitlin knows how to juggle. I know what learning to juggle does to your brain and your reflexes, so using it in the book was a no-brainer (pardon the pun). Someone I’m close to was adopted from another country, and elements of her personality show up in Lauren’s character. I used to have a mixed-breed dog with a lot of Newf in him, so parts of his personality show up in Shadow, Kaitlin’s Newfoundland dog. I guess it would be more accurate to say that pieces of my life are strewn throughout my books, in no particular order.

What do you want your readers to take away from your books?

I can still remember the magic and awe I felt when I first read Tolkien around forty years ago. I want to give my readers the same feelings. His stories were of middle earth, but they were supposed to be our history. He gave us the original poem that turned into our “and the cow jumped over the moon” tale, and inserted other similar tidbits into his novels. It made his story more real, and there were lots of goose bumps. My books take place in our modern-day world, but I try to make the old mythologies make sense. It’s the reverse of the way he did it, but I hope I can evoke the same basic thoughts and emotions.

The Chronicles of the Light is urban fantasy, but if you enjoy fantasy of any kind, I hope you’ll take a chance and dive into my world.

Tell us a little about Unhuman Light.

Chronicles of the Light, book one…

Bodies keep piling up, but Kaitlin O’Malley refuses to back down, even when threatened by someone once worshipped as a god. Training for a battle between good and evil, she teams up with the Dragon King and a powerful lion, and finds herself protected by a Master Vampire who wants her in his bed.

With a vile enemy ready to destroy her, the men in her life lock her up to keep her safe, but Kaitlin will never let other people fight her battles. She’ll have to break free and venture out on her own, wielding a powerful weapon to protect herself — a weapon her enemies would kill for. To face the enemy alone, Kaitlin must view the world in an Unhuman Light.

In a supernatural battle of magic and strength, can an unlikely human prevail?

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Chapter One

“Aery, I need a shot!” I screamed, holding back the energy pulsing at my fingertips until he was out of the way. The instant he maneuvered to give me a clear path, I unleashed the fiery red energy and watched it streak through the air and slice into the grotesque monster who’d been holding his own in a fight with Aaron Drake.

My power drained from me as it hit our foe in the chest, melting through skin, bone, and more. I lifted my arm a few inches and the caustic light streaking from my hand rose like a laser. When it reached the hideous creature’s throat, I moved my hand right and left until he was decapitated, and then watched in horrified fascination while the body seemed to evaporate before my eyes.

My gaze swung to my friend, and I checked to be sure he was okay. I was used to Aaron totally dominating, no matter the species he was fighting, and the fact he’d maneuvered to give me a clear shot told me the ancient dragonshifter wasn’t sure he could’ve won. My heart settled when I saw he seemed okay. He’s hard to kill, but I had no idea what we’d just fought.

As far as I know, I’m the only person who can get away with a cute nickname for the sexy, tough-as-nails, bad-assed owner of Drake Security, but I never do it around other people. I wouldn’t have said it today while battling an unknown monster, but it slipped out. No problem though, the bad guy seemed to evaporate and turn to smoke once the life force left his body. I usually want to cry after a kill — even when it’s a really bad guy — but not having to look at a body made it easier. Either way, I couldn’t give into the guilt and soul searching until the op was over.

“What was that?” I asked Aaron.

“Not sure,” he said, barely out of breath. “I used to see things kind of like him a few thousand years ago, but not since we entered the Common Era. I’ll send a sketch to a few friends and see if they have any ideas. I was about to shift into dragon form and see if my fire would work, but your laser did the trick.”

I took a breath and pulled energy in from the forest around us. I’d used almost all my reserves with that one shot, and I’d be useless if something else came along. I leaned against a tree and tried to relax in the crisp, autumn air. It’s easier to absorb energy when you’re at peace.

Aaron, of course, noticed. “I can top you up. You know I have plenty.”

I shook my head. “I’m not up for pain right now. Just give me five minutes with a few trees.” I could almost always find an old tree willing to give me energy. It might take a little time, but not as long as gathering it from the air around me. A waterfall would be faster, or even a creek or stream, but I didn’t hear running water.

“I won’t push more in than you can take, not during a mission.” Aaron said. “You used it to save me, the least I can do is top you back up.”

“Okay,” I relented, “but into my hands. I’ll route it to the right chakras.”

He didn’t argue, thank goodness, and held his hands out for me to grasp. I dropped my shields enough to let his energy flow out of his palms and into mine, and as it streamed up my arms and into my body, my heart seemed to need less energy to pump my blood.

I initially routed the power he gifted me to my first two chakras, since I primarily pull from those for my weapon, and then filled the rest. He truly does have plenty, but I never want to get used to depending on him.

During the few minutes Aaron’s energy filled me, I was at one with everything around me — totally at peace with the world, the universe, and perhaps even God. All energy is magic, but Aaron’s is a special kind of magic.

If we were romantically compatible, I’d be madly in love with him, but since we aren’t, he’s one of my best friends. I love him, but it isn’t the girlfriend kind of love.

When I was as full as I could get without feeling pain, I gently let go of his hands. When we do this as an exercise and he’s expanding the volume I can hold, he forces it in long past when I would choose to let go. This hurts about as much as I imagine a lightning strike would, and there’s a lot of screaming and crying involved on my part. I hate acting like a girly-girl, but he assures me he screamed and begged when his reserves were being stretched, too. Of course, that was thousands of years ago, so who could say how much he remembered of the pain?

Today, though, I felt warm and full and loved.

“Thanks,” I told him. Words couldn’t adequately thank him, so the single word would have to do. Besides, we were still on our mission and needed to focus, so I asked, “Do we circle back around and try the mystery cave, or try my idea?” I already knew venturing into the unknown cave wasn’t an option, but hoped he’d consider my Plan B. Aaron hadn’t liked it when I’d proposed it a few hours earlier, but we were running out of options.

He lifted his chin in agreement but showed no emotion. Aaron Drake totally rocks bad-ass. “Let’s pull Nathan in to help,” he answered. “I’m not comfortable using you as human bait with just me as your backup.”

I nodded and leaned against a tree, closed my eyes, and made Aaron’s energy my own while he texted Nathan our coordinates. Nathan wasn’t too far away, but was acting as lookout and would need to put someone in his spot before joining us.

We knew women were being kidnapped and taken to these woods just outside the boundaries of Prentice Cooper State Forest. Aaron is a weredragon and has an exceptionally good sense of smell, which had helped him find the women’s scents, but the trail had ended around ten feet from the cave’s entrance. I’d found narrow wheel marks leading towards the cave, and Aaron scented a few non-human male scents in the same area. Aaron couldn’t identify the species of the non-humans by smell, and wasn’t sure about them now that he’d seen one of them, either.

I theorized they might be putting the women into some sort of cart to get them into the cave, but Aaron didn’t want to go in without knowing what we were walking into. I understood the logic, even if it frustrated me. Still, Aaron was thousands of years old and hadn’t made it this far by being stupid, so I generally listened to his advice. Not always, but usually.

My Plan B had been to send me into the staging area as a bumbling, helpless female making a lot of noise, and hope someone showed up so Aaron could interrogate them and find out what was going on.

However, if we happened upon more of whatever we’d been fighting earlier, I wasn’t sure how we’d question it. Aaron and Nathan in human form and working together could probably subdue one of the creatures, but if more appeared they’d likely be forced to shift into their animal forms. Not a problem for Nathan, who shifted into a lion, but Aaron’s gigantic dragon form was hard to hide, as he tended to knock trees down and create a huge disturbance even when he didn’t take flight. He might’ve gotten away with it a hundred years ago, but with practically every American owning a camera phone today, he wouldn’t risk it.

The creature I’d killed had looked like an amalgamation of goat, ape, and the Incredible Hulk — minus the green. It’d been tan and brown, with long curved horns and vertical slitted eyes with flaming red irises where they should’ve been black. Creepy was an understatement, and he’d scared the bejeebers out of me even before I knew he was almost too much for Aaron to take on in human form.

As a human who can’t magically heal like the shapeshifters, I only use my metaphysical laser to kill from a distance. Attempting to wound a powerful supernatural creature would likely only get me killed, once they saw I was a serious danger. I could cut limbs off with my laser, or deliver a kill shot, but couldn’t do much else. However, we’d need to capture the next one so it could be questioned, which meant I could only act if I thought there was no other choice.

I was full of energy now though, and if I portioned it out I could probably kill two with what Aaron had given me.

Nathan, as always, startled me when he appeared in front of me. He walks as quietly in human form as when he’s a lion, and he’s just as ill-behaved, arrogant, and stubborn as any grumpy house-cat, so we didn’t exactly get along. I trusted him with my life on a mission, I just didn’t like being around him. Too bad he’s gorgeous.

Ignoring the fact he’d startled me, I told the men, “I need to hand off my gun and mags to one of you. The goat monsters will probably be able to smell them, and I’ll lose my helpless female vibe.”

Nathan held his hand out, choosing to remain nonverbal as usual when around me. I held my tongue, pulled my nine millimeter from the bellyband and handed it off, then the three extra magazines. He put my weapon in a zippered pocket on the side of his thigh, and slid my mags into slots on the inside of his military style tech-vest.

No matter how much of an ass he might be, he’s still built like my ideal man and I always have to work to keep from lusting after his more-than-perfect human body. He can smell emotions and physical reactions, and I endeavored to give him nothing. It was more likely he didn’t care what I thought or felt, but just in case he did, I wanted to keep as much feedback from him as possible.

We were about a half mile from the staging area Aaron had found, and I started walking to it, knowing Aaron would map out a plan with Nathan and they’d both be in position long before I arrived.

Walking away from them, through the woods, towards danger without my gun was terrifying, but I breathed through my fear and tried to keep my physiological reactions to a minimum. Both for my own pride, to keep Aaron and Nathan from smelling my fear, but also because it wouldn’t do for the goat-people to know I was terrified before I saw them. A lost human can be expected to smell a little scared, but not out-of-her-mind frightened.

About the Author:

Chris Stoneheart lives in a fifty-year-old house smack dab in the middle of The South, with what promises to soon be a full-fledged herd of retired racing greyhounds. Chris read The Hobbit in elementary school, and The Lord of the Rings in middle school, and has been addicted to fantasy ever since. (It’s probably best we don’t talk about what Chris read in high school.)

Chronicles of the Light gives us a world where weredragons, werewolves, werelions, three different species of vampires, and a variety of other mythological beings exist.

Stay up to date on new releases by joining Chris’s mailing list at http://eepurl.com/gcNe7v

ARE YOU STALKING ME? You should be! Come find me!

CHRONICLES OF THE LIGHT DISCUSSION GROUP ➔ https://www.facebook.com/groups/708444462889798/

AMAZON FOLLOW ➔ Did you know Amazon will automatically email you a link every time I publish a new book! Click the yellow FOLLOW button under my author picture. ➔ http://amzn.to/2D3t5Fs

PERSONAL FB PROFILE ➔ https://www.facebook.com/chris.stoneheart.35

BOOKBUB FOLLOW ➔ Want to have my sales sent directly to your inbox? Follow me here ➔ https://www.bookbub.com/authors/chris-stoneheart

WEBSITE ➔ Come check out my new website! ➔ https://www.chrisstoneheart.com/

GOODREADS ➔ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18780566.Chris_Stoneheart

It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Unhuman Light!

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Chris Stoneheart. Chronicles of the Light, Unhuman Light, Urban Fantasy by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.

Apr 18th Interview L. A. McGinnis Author of The Moon

Give a warm welcome to L.A. McGinnis author of the Moon, book two of The Banished Gods Series! Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Laura and The Moon!

What defines you as an author? My creativity and ability to craft a story. As a person? Are they one in the same? Yes, but as a person, it extends into art as well.

What inspired this particular story? Well, I’d always wanted to set a book in Chicago because it’s one of my favorite cities to visit. It started out as a story about fallen angels banished to earth, but once I switched the main characters over to the Norse gods, I liked the way everything was working out much better. And I had a vision for an apocalyptic series where the characters could move between worlds, like the Nine Realms. Once I began writing book four or five (I can’t exactly remember) and began playing around with moving back and forth between the realms, and the series seemed to lean towards the urban fantasy genre, all the elements just seemed to slip into place perfectly.

What makes you laugh out loud? My cousin Vinny- still!

What makes you angry? People who bully other people, just because they can.

Why did you choose the cover concept you did? My cover artist and I went back and forth between a couple different concepts, but we settled on this because of the strength of the images- each one is tied to the main theme of the book, and leaves an indelible image in the readers head (hopefully).

Why should we read this book/series and what sets you apart from the rest and makes your book/series unique? I don’t think outside of the Avengers movie series much attention has been given to the Norse gods, one of my dearest loves since I was about six of seven years old. I’ve always been fascinated with them, and I wanted to give them a modern twist and introduce them to a new audience. Especially some of the lesser known gods, like Fenrir, Mir and Tyr. Pus, each book has a wonderful love story at its core, with a damaged hero and sometimes an equally damaged heroine trying to piece their lives back together.

Who would you recommend this book to and what should readers be aware of before reading it?

Anyone who loves Karen M Moning Fever series, or Laura Thalassa’s The Bargainer series would find these books interesting. I’d categorize them urban fantasy romance, but as the series goes on, there is a definite post apocolytic/dystopian theme woven through as the characters fight to stop the world from coming to an end.

Tell us something about yourself and allow us to get to know you. I started writing seriously in 2007, and then took a lampworking (glass making) class that summer on a lark. By the end of that year I had a side business in glass going, and by 2009, I was running a full-fledged online art business. Now it’s my only fulltime job, but it derailed my writing career for about 6-7 years until I found a balance between my full time job, my art business and writing.

What secret do you use to blast through writer’s block? I usually switch gears to something less glamourous- like research on another book, or outlining my next project, or editing. I usually have 3-6 projects going at a time, so there is always something to do. I think the trick is not to get bogged down, then you get frustrated. By the time I get to start writing again, I’m happy to be able to sit down and get new words on paper.

Who is your favorite character of all of the books you’ve written and Why? In this current series, it’s Ava Burke, because you’re going to see a huge character arc for her from book one to book seven, and she is going to blow your mind.

What inspired you to write? I’ve been reading voraciously since I was about five, but it wasn’t until my kids were in middle school that it occurred to me it was something I might want to do. I actually got in an argument with my youngest son over an assignment, which turned into a competition between the two of us (I won), and I found I really liked writing.

How long have you been writing? Since 2007, but 2010 was when I began to take it seriously and started going to conferences, joining local writing groups and figuring out the craft.

Did you tell friends and family that you were writing a book? Or did it take a while to come out and tell friends and family you were a writer? Oh, it took me a really long time. I think my husband thought I was up to something because I was sitting up late at night on the computer for months and months. But when I finally told him he was super supportive.

Do you see yourself in your characters? Of course, there’s a little of me in every one of them!

What do you want your readers to take away from your books? That you can survive anything. That you can heal and move past even the worst of situation, and there is always something better waiting for you, if you’re willing to work for it.

Where do your story ideas come from? If they come to you in the middle of the night, do you get up and write them all down? I’ve had those, and they are usually so terrible that I’ve stopped getting up in the middle of the night to write them down! I have found writing a series is easier than a stand-alone, at least for me. I like how the main plot holds everything together, but you can build up each book onto that, and the idea do come more easily when you have much of it already set out in your head.

Do you find it easier to write from a male or female point of view? Why? I like to write both, and I don’t find either easier or harder. For me it comes down to character. I find it’s harder for me to write conflict and love scenes than anything else!

Why do you write what you write? Contemporary, paranormal, suspense, etc. I’m not sure. I started out writing literary fiction, then moved to YA fantasy, then paranormal, now I’m in urban fantasy, I think it’s just a natural progression of growth and

If writing is your first passion, what is your second? Art- I love to paint!

What do you like to do when you are not writing? I usually am reading!

You’ve got a time machine, a cloak of invisibility, and one hour. Where would you go, and what eavesdropping would you do? I would love to visit Nuremberg, Germany in the late 1400’s and see Albrecht Durer, one of my all-time favorite artists!

Okay, you’re casting the movie version of your novel – who would you choose for the main characters? We’re talking dream cast. Oh wow. So I have them in my head, but no one who is famous…But a young David Gandy for Fenrir, Lee Pace (with white hair) for Odin,

What’s your favorite part of being an author? Just those occasions when I get to sit down and write, which are becoming rarer and rarer, sadly. But I do love when I start a new project, and there’s nothing in front of me but white paper!

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why? I would love to be able to time travel, I think that would be valuable.

What’s your approach to writing? Are you a plotter or follow your characters flow (Pantser)? I am a total pantser, I can’t stick to an outline past chapter one, even when I try.

Tell us three things we’d find if we looked under your heroine’s bed? How about the hero’s bed? Haha, well, the heroine does have something hidden under her bed. But she’d have a secret box, a baseball bat and a pile of journals, and the hero would have a silver neckchain, a book and a dagger.

SPEED ROUND FOR A LITTLE ADDED FUN:

Speed Round (one word only answer): Yep, I know torture for a writer!<evil laugh>

Favorite movie: Blade Runner
Favorite book: Dandelion Wine
Last book read: The Immortalists, by Chloe Benjamin
Favorite color: green
Stilettos or flipflops: both!
Coffee or tea: Coffee of course!
Ebook or audiobook or paperback: e-book
Pencil or pen: pencil

Favorite song: The Emotion by Bjorns

Streak or not: nope

Favorite dessert: Tiramisu

Favorite junk food: donuts

Favorite thing to do to relax: go to the beach

Champagne or gin: rum

Paranormal or Historical: paranormal

Wonder Woman or Top Model:

Favorite TV show: The Umbrella Academy (for now)

Hot or cold: hot

POV: first

I’d die if I don’t have: music

Review or Not: yes!

Tells us about The Moon.

It’s always darkest before the dawn.
But they’ve never seen the place I came from.
For four years, life has been good for Celine Barrows.
But when the God of Chaos comes calling, Celine must answer. Her one chance at salvation is a stranger who makes no promises, and leads her on a journey into the very darkness she thought she had escaped. As the world shatters around her, and war looms on the horizon, Celine discovers that sometimes it takes a monster to defeat a monster.

A peek between the pages of The Moon.

There were many things that Celine had overcome. Poverty, for one. Hunger for another. She’d learned how to go for days and days without eating. How to fill her stomach with water so it didn’t ache so sharply. How to steal, first, out of desperation, then out of simple need, but never without regret. She’d learned to lie, and to manipulate. She’d learned to fight, to use weapons to defend herself against men bigger and stronger than herself. To survive in a world where it seemed everyone wanted to hurt her.

And finally, how to construct a carefully organized world to keep all of these dangerous memories at bay.

But there were some things that she had never fully left behind. Things that were meant to stay locked away in the darkness. And the biggest, baddest of those was currently sitting in this room, face to face with her.

“You’ve grown to be quite beautiful.” Her father stood, glancing at the man behind her. “I see Buchanan wasn’t exaggerating, when he told me what you looked like.” The quaking probably started somewhere around her knees, she decided, before moving up through her body, and by the time David Barrows towered over her, circled slowly around her, fear consumed her completely.

About the Author:

From the very first time she picked up a book, Laura was hooked. When she wasn’t running through the woods or rescuing animals, she could be found curled up in the backyard reading, escaping to even greater adventures.

But then came high school, boys and fast cars, and somewhere in between, her dream of writing the really, really big story got lost. Until finally she walked into a classroom at KSU , discovered Old English and Norse Mythology and her love of writing began anew.

An In’D’Tale fantasy finalist, Laura lives in northeastern Ohio, at the edge of a national park with her husband and one very spoiled German shepherd, writing paranormal, fantasy and dystopian romances.

It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with The Moon!

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Dystopian Science Fiction, L.A. McGinnis, The Moon, Urban Fantasy by Tena Stetler with 3 comments.

Apr 1st A Chat with Karilyn Bentley Author of Devil Forget Me

Give a warm welcome to my sister author, Karilyn Bentley author of Devil Forget Me, Book Five of the Demon Huntress Series released today! Happy Book BIrthday! Not an April Fool’s joke. I can’t wait to get my hands on this one. I’ve read and loved all the previous books in the Demon Huntress Series!

Now, pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Karilyn and Devil Forget Me.

Hi Tena! Thank you for having me back on Author’s Secrets! It’s always fun to chat with you and your followers. Today I’m excited to talk about my newest release, Devil Forget Me, the 5^th and final book in the Demon Huntress series. This time Gin Crawford must discover the identity of the demon haunting her esteemed employer, The Agency, before all hell breaks loose. Which is a little hard to do since the demon cast a forget-me spell. Although, if you’re the demon, that’s a pretty nifty trick to hide from those annoying humans. Pick up your copy and find out how Gin solves the mystery!

Speed Round (one word only answer): Yep, I know torture for a writer!<evil laugh>

Favorite movie: Star Wars
Favorite book: Harry Potter
Last book read: Dead as a Door Knocker by Diane Kelly
Favorite color: Green
Stilettos or flipflops: Stilettos
Coffee or tea: tea
Ebook or audiobook or paperback: ebook
Pencil or pen: pen

Favorite song: Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey

Streak or not: NOT!

Favorite dessert: almost anything chocolate

Favorite junk food: Hot Tamales candy

Favorite thing to do to relax: read

Champagne or gin: champagne

Paranormal or Historical: paranormal

Wonder Woman or Top Model: Wonder Woman

Favorite TV show: God Friended Me

Hot or cold: Cold

POV: first

I’d die if I don’t have: my toothbrush

Review or Not: review

See I told you, impossible for an author to give one word answers. LOL But this is one way to see into the soul and inter-workings of an author.

Second Speed Round <Only two words allowed> I Love these!

1.What is your favorite book of all time? Harry Potter

Where do you relax to read? On the couch
What sound drives you right up a wall? Fingernails on a chalkboard
What sound relaxes you? Buddhist chants
Favorite drink? tea
Walking in the sand, shoes or barefoot? barefoot
Favorite pet: Dogs
Snow? Love or hate? Love!
Doing ________ is like nailing jello to the wall. Dusting (it always comes back)
Rock and Roll, Country, Jazz or Classical? Rock
What can’t you leave the house without? My phone
Calender or not; Paper or electronic? Yes, both paper and electronic
Favorite place to write: kitchen
What is your decadent indulgent? Cornbread and maple syrup
You’ve just won $1,000.00, you have only 24 hours to spend it, so what will you buy? Clothes, books, and one of those Shark mops (my floors are really dirty)!
Plotter or panster? pantser
Introvert or extrovert? introvert
Flight or fight? flight
Favorite Monster? Mike Wazowski
Magic or Not? magic

Tell us a little about your new release Devil Forget Me.

What appears to be a simple crime, unmasks a chilling deception…

Gin Crawford, the world’s newest demon huntress, kills two minions who are breaking into a financial adviser’s office. But what she thinks of as another night in the life of a demon huntress leads to a cover-up of epic proportions. A demon haunts her employer, the Agency, and only she can stop it.

Aidan Smythe, her guardian mage and lover, along with her brother T, and the healer Eloise, join her search in discovering the demon’s identity. A search thwarted by a powerful spell.

Breaking the spell requires her to join forces with Zagan, the demon of deceit, the demon who marked her as his. But working together comes with a price. One Gin is not sure she can pay.

Excerpt: (Insert an except other that the official one – if possible – readers like something different.)

Local weather report for today: sunny with a chance of scattered minion parts.

I spin, my sword slicing off the minion’s arm. His eyes flare, round saucers in a shocked face. What did he expect? Me to roll over and stop fighting?

Fat chance, buster. Shouldn’t have hosted the demon’s essence.

Minions might be super-charged on a demon’s essence, but they still feel pain. And whacking off an arm causes pain.

While the minion grabs his bleeding stump and whimpers like a kicked dog, I pull back my sword for a fatal blow. One I should have administered instead of one-arming the minion.

A swing later and the whimpering stops, courtesy of the minion’s head rolling across the ground. Score!

“Good job.” Aidan Smythe, my guardian mage, mentor extraordinaire, and current lover, nods at the dead minion.

I draw in a deep breath, standing a little straighter. When I first became the world’s newest Justitian—or demon huntress as I like to call me and my twelve fellow sword-sisters—I sucked at killing demons. Now, I’m Gin Crawford, super-awesome demon huntress. A feat continuing to impress me.

If only my demon-killing employer was as impressed. Then again, in my book the Agency isn’t exactly known for its intelligence.

You can pickup or download your copy at: Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooks Kobo:

About the author:

Currently working on a secret project, Karilyn Bentley blends magic, dark fantasy and romance mixed with a touch of funny that her readers expect and love. When she’s not busy writing, Karilyn enjoys reading and recently learned she loves sledding down hills into snowbanks. Stop by her website at www.karilynbentley.com and discover your next paranormal read!

Where to find Karilyn:

Website: www.karilynbentley.com

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It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Demon Forget Me!

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Dark Fantasy, Demon Forget Me, Demon Huntress Series, Karilyn Bentley, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy by Tena Stetler with 16 comments.

Mar 27th Interview Nikki Lee Taylor Author of The Descendants

Give a warm welcome to Nikki Lee Taylor author of The Descendants – Rise of the Reaper Army.

Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Nikki and The Descendants!

What inspired the Heart Collector?

As a reader, I love urban fantasy. Vampires, werewolves, demons all living among us – it’s my favourite. So, when I set out to write my first novel, I knew it had to have paranormal elements to it.

I think the paranormal gives our imagination the opportunity to expand and open up, to see in our minds-eye the things we dream of but don’t necessarily believe in. I also knew I wanted my book to convey an important message, something I do believe in – which is ensuring the future of our planet and all the species of life it harbours.

So that’s how the theme and overall plot of The Descendants – Rise of the Reaper Army was created. Its genesis, so to speak.

By linking the Reaper Army to the rising rate of carbon dioxide in our planet’s atmosphere, and as a result making it a liveable environment for the demon army, my goal was to convey the inevitable global crisis we all face if we do not take drastic measures to protect our world.

Likewise, I wanted to include factual aspects like The Giaour, the first poem ever printed in the English language about a vampire and written by Lord Byron in 1813, and the battle between the Serbian and the Turkish armies as part of my main character Aurora’s back story.

I felt it was important to include factual elements so that you, as a reader, would really engage with the message that despite the story being fiction, how we got to this point is very, very real.

Do you see yourself in your characters?

I think all authors give a little of themselves to their character, they are born inside our minds after all. I’d like to think I try and live my life with the same strength and determination as my main character Aurora, but at times when I find myself at a loose end or not keeping up my end of the bargain in life, I think about what she might do and try to be more like her.

What do you do when you aren’t writing?

I love all forms of storytelling and when I’m not writing I watch a lot of movies and Netflix series. Aside from that I also love photography, live music and spending time with my two golden retrievers at the beach.

What advice would you give new writers?

Don’t give up. It’s tough out there and unless you are very lucky, or crazy talented, you are going to get rejections. It’s just a fact. Don’t take it personally and don’t think you’re a bad writer. Timing is everything and always consider going it alone as an indie author. There are so many opportunities now to get your work out there and just because you self-publish to start with, doesn’t mean a traditional publishing house will not represent you later in your career.

Tell us something most people don’t know about you

I actually started writing The Descendants as a Mills & Boon book after a friend of mine started publishing with them. But about half way through I decided I wanted the book to have multi-layers and include themes about climate change, conservation and other non-romantic elements. I thought that perhaps my overall vision for the book had grown so much that it would no longer fit into the traditional romantic format for M & B, so I decided to take a different path.

Tell us a little about The Descendants.

Can they save our world from becoming Hell on Earth?

When the apex predators of the forest begin acting strange, former Army Captain Gabriel Stone knows something is wrong. Change is all around. He can sense it in the earth and feel it in on the wind. Something is coming…

After being attacked by a vampire, Gabriel thinks his ‘life’ is over. Alone, confused and with no choice other than to hide out, alone in an old forest cabin, Gabriel has sworn to find and kill the creature that changed him. But when the hunt leads him to an old farmhouse and he encounters the fiery, beautiful and headstrong Aurora, Gabriel’s world is turned upside down as he quickly realises not everything is as it seems.

Aurora is a Descendant, the daughter of a vampire father and Amazon warrior mother. She is strong, beautiful and has a special connection to the earth and its creatures. After spending a lifetime hunting the monsters that killed her parents, Aurora has all but given up – until she meets Gabriel, who is tortured, angry and out for revenge. But despite his flaws, Aurora knows he is the key to everything she has been searching for – if they don’t kill each other first.

With a story that highlights the beauty and importance of preserving of our natural world, The Descendants – Rise of the Reaper Army tells the age-old story of good versus evil, while highlighting the frightening impacts our modern society is having on the planet, as Gabriel and Aurora fight to save our world from becoming Hell on Earth.

Amazon

A peek between the pages of The Descendants

Gabriel stormed toward the forest determined to get as far away from
Aurora and the Council as possible, but his head was spinning. It was too much
information, too much deceit and too much betrayal. His body ached and his
brain hurt. Unable to continue, he found an old log and threw himself down with
his head in his hands. How could she have done this? How could she have been
the thread that caused his entire life to unravel?

Since the night Aurora came to his cabin, mad as hell and wanting to
kill him, Gabriel had given himself to her. He had followed her and believed in
her. How could she have betrayed him this way? Everything had changed.
Everything was different. He wished he had never met her. He wished it could
take it all back. He wished he could just go home, but it was a long trip and
storming off into the forest half-cocked was a recipe for disaster. He had
learned that lesson a long time ago. No, he needed to calm his mind. He needed
to find a way to look at things differently. He needed a way to breathe.

He let out a long sigh and asked himself again, had she really known or
was she just a victim of the Council’s plan like he was? After all, she wasn’t
the one who approached him. He was the one who had gone to the farmhouse and
killed her brother. But he never would have been there if he hadn’t been
attacked in the first place.

Gabriel cracked his knuckles and tried to think. According to Lucius
this was their destiny, but what if she hadn’t been so obsessed with those
things? He wondered, could their destiny have been different? He dared to
imagine how it might have played out. What if he had never been changed and
instead, they met out walking in the forest? What if he could have been himself
with her? What if…?

He threw his hands up into the air and shouted out at the top of his
voice. He hated her. Worse than that he loved her. He was completely screwed.

Eventually he found the strength to get to his feet, but every step
pressed into the earth like a question mark. How would she make it all the way
home without him? But how could he wait for her knowing this was her fault?
Damn it. He was in his own personal hell. He wandered at a snail’s pace and it
wasn’t long before he heard her calling his name.

“Gabriel… Please, just wait. There are things I need to tell you,” she
was calling out. “I know about the Reapers.”

He stopped momentarily but then shook his head and kept walking. Deep
down he knew she would catch up and he hated himself for wanting her to.

“Gabriel, stop!”

She was getting closer.

“Stay away from me Aurora, I mean it,” he shouted over his shoulder. “Do
not follow me!”

“Would you stop? Just for a minute? I had no idea about any of this.
Gabriel…”

Thoughts coursed through his mind. Had it not been for her he would
still be a part of his family’s lives. He would still be an Army Captain. Hell,
he would still be alive. Had it not been for her, he would never have fallen in
love.

“Gabriel there are things I need to tell you,” she shouted. “You have to
listen.”

“No Aurora, I don’t. I don’t have to do anything. I don’t owe you
a damn thing.”

But even as the words left his lips, he knew they were lies. He had
killed her brother and the guilt in turn was killing him.

When she finally caught up she stepped in front, leaving him no choice
but to stop.

“Just listen,” she begged. “I promise you, I didn’t know. Gabriel we
can’t let these things destroy our world. You can’t just walk away!”

“I. Don’t. Care.” He told her. “I don’t want to be a part of this world
anyway Aurora, not like this. I’ve had enough.”

But she grabbed his shoulders and fiercely pulled him in. “Don’t you
talk like that, do you hear me? Not ever Gabriel, you’re too important!”

The worst part was that he wanted to help her. It was the right thing to
do but anger was crippling him. It twisted inside, wrapping around his ribs and
squeezing accusations up into his throat. He wanted his life back. He also
wanted her.

“Gabriel, when we were in the forest and I shared the Earth’s connection
with you I thought you understood?”

“That was one moment Aurora!” He shouted. “I have lost an entire life
and it was a life that I loved. It was a life that I made, that I worked for.
Damn it, don’t you see? I had a family. I followed in my father’s footsteps and
my grandfather’s before him. Did I love fighting? No, but I was proud to serve
my country. I had respect and I had honour. Now I have nothing.”

“And that’s exactly why you are the chosen one,” she said, daring to
step closer. “Nothing you could have done as an Army Captain would ever come
close to what we need to do now. Gabriel, everyone will die. Not a town, not a
city, not a country… Everyone, including your family.”

“Don’t you talk about my family.”

“They’ll die Gabriel, just like my mother and father. Just like
thousands of mothers and fathers. Every animal and plant will be decimated.
Rivers and oceans will dry up. Forests will disappear. If the Reapers are
allowed to rise and stay here, nothing will be left but a barren wasteland.
I’ve seen it. You want to know what happened here in the forest on the way to
the Council? That’s what I was shown. I saw the end. Is that really the legacy
you want to leave behind?”

He stared out into the forest. There were no words left to say. All he
knew of the Reapers were some paintings on a wall and a vision shown to him by
a vampire, probably the same one that ended his life. How could he trust that?
How could he just believe? His heart ached and sorrow descended like nightfall.
He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself, suddenly so cold that he
wondered if he was coming down with something. But strigoi couldn’t get sick,
could they?

“What’s happening to me?” He managed through chattering teeth. “Are you
doing this?”

“No Gabriel, I’m not.”

“Then what?”

“You were thinking about them, weren’t you? The Reapers?”
He nodded and looked away, hating that she could read him so well.

“Their time is drawing closer. It’s the darkness that you feel Gabriel,
the darkness that lives inside them. Try to imagine a world without sunshine,
without love, without hope. If they rise nothing will survive.”

“But how can that be? I don’t understand any of this.”

“A demon is made of dark matter. They have no light inside them, no
soul.” She stepped away and opened her arms. “For everything that exists there
needs to be balance. That is the essence of the universe. Think about it. Black
and white, light and dark, hot and cold, male and female, even Heaven and Hell.
God created humans and Satan created demons. That is the balance, but their
darkness is beginning to seep into our world. That is what you’re feeling.”

Gabriel rubbed at his forehead and tried to find his bearings. A cold
wind blew in off the mountains and moisture hung heavy in the air. Despite his
dizziness he could smell the scent of rain coming in, fresh and clean.

“What did Lucius say to you?” He asked. “Did he tell you how to kill
them?”
“No, but he told me that you are the only one capable of destroying the army.”

“The army?” Despite how ill he was feeling, Gabriel threw back his head
and laughed out loud. “Well that will do me Aurora. You have got to be joking!
No one can defeat an army alone, demonic or any other kind. It just can’t be
done.”
“Not alone Gabriel, with me.”

“Oh well then…Why didn’t you say so? That changes everything.”

“I can fight Gabriel,” Aurora snapped. “I can – ”

“You couldn’t even win a fight against me,” he bellowed. “Stop fooling
yourself Aurora. I don’t know who your mother was, but you are no match for an
army of demons. Like I said, you couldn’t even take me down.”

“That’s only because you’re not like any other strigoi Gabriel. You
carry the strongest bloodline of the entire strigoi race. You are the closest
thing on Earth to a demon. And besides, I wasn’t really trying to kill you,
obviously.”

Gabriel took two steps back. “What did you just say to me? I’m a demon?
Did Lucius tell you that?”

Instantly regretting her outburst, Aurora let her head drop. She hadn’t
meant to hurt him, it had just come out somehow. “I’m sorry Gabriel. I didn’t
mean to – ”

But he cut her off. “Is that what he told you? That I’m a demon?”
When she didn’t reply, he stormed over and grabbed her by the shoulders.
“Answer me damn it! Am I a demon? Is that what he said?”

“Gabriel…”

“Tell me!”

“In a way, but – ”

“Stop talking,” he warned. “Do not say another word.”

“Gabriel it’s not like that. You just carry the strongest bloodline.”

Thunder crashed overhead and sheets of rain swept in across the forest.

“I’m sorry,” she shouted over the storm. “I didn’t mean it to come out
like that. Gabriel…”

But he wasn’t listening. Instead he turned and ran deep into the forest,
determined to get as far away from her and everyone else as he could. As he
ran, he told himself that Aurora would be fine, that the forest would keep her
safe. That she didn’t need him. Undeterred by the storm, he pushed forward not
caring as wet tree branches slapped against his face and wind whipped through
his hair. If what Aurora said was true, then he had no reason to be careful. If
he was a demon, then he didn’t want to exist anyway.

Knowing he could never outrun the one thing he wanted to get away from
most, frustration itched and bit at his skin. He loved her but he hated
himself. She wanted everything and he had nothing. How could he save anything
when he couldn’t even stand to be inside his own skin?

A sound in the distance caught his attention and he imagined it was
Aurora crying out for him. His heart leapt. He ached to turn back, but
quickly shook it off. He couldn’t go back, she was better off without him.

Up ahead a finger of lightening lit up the forest and thunder rolled
across the sky. Beneath his feet the ground shook and just for a moment he
hesitated. The lightning cast an eerie glow across the wet cliff face and
he peered through the darkness. Was he imagining it, or was somebody there? He
drew in closer and saw camping gear littered across the rock face. A backpack
and a sleeping bag, a broken tent, its framework poking out through the canvas
like pieces of broken bone.

“Help us please…”

The voices cut through the dark and Gabriel immediately ran to the edge
and looked over.

Crouched on a rock ledge below were a man and woman, both soaked and
both terrified.

“Are you hurt?” Gabriel called out against the roaring wind.

The woman looked like a drowned cat. Her blonde hair was plastered
across her face and tears had made her eyes as red as Aurora’s. The man was
trying to hold it together but one look at his face told Gabriel just how
scared he really was.

“We’re not hurt,” he shouted back. “But we’re stranded.”

Gabriel knew there would be no explanation for what he was about to do,
so he closed his eyes and said a prayer that he could disappear before they
asked any questions. “Just hold tight. I’ll help you.”

“Please hurry! I don’t know how much longer we can last down here.”

Gabriel nodded and quickly began searching for something he could use to
pull them up. All around him the wind howled, an ominous sound that chilled him
to the bone.

After covering every inch around the edge of the cliff, Gabriel threw up
his arms in frustration. There was nothing he could use that would bear the
weight of an adult man and out of options, he threw his head back and cursed at
the sky. He was damned. No matter what he tried nothing worked. Everything was
falling apart. And then she appeared, wet and weather beaten and yet somehow
still beautiful.

“Aurora there’s people down there that need our help,” he shouted, no
longer caring about their fight. “We need something to pull them up.”

If they worked as a team maybe they could save the lives of the stranded
campers, he thought. His life might be over but perhaps theirs didn’t have to
be.

“What do you need me to do?”

“That thing with the vines. I need something to pull them up.”

She quickly scanned the forest for trees with vines strong enough to
haul the people up from the ledge. Finding one, she walked over and closed her
eyes. She whispered to the tree and it responded, quickly offering up metres of
vine.

“Okay that’s enough, now go and find shelter. There’s no need for us
both to be out here Aurora.”

But stubborn as usual, she shook her head. “No, I’m staying. You might
need me again.”

Gabriel knew there was no point arguing and right now the people on the
ledge needed him more than she did. Turning away from her, he ducked his head
over the ledge and peered down at them. “When I pass this vine down, I want you
to take hold of it. But only one of you at a time, okay?”
“Take my wife first,” the man shouted. “I need to make sure my wife is safe.”

The request made Gabriel’s heart ache. What must it be like to love
someone so much that you would immediately put their life ahead of your own? It
was an emotion he would probably never feel and yet he ached to love another
with such devotion. He thought he had fallen in love with Aurora, but at the
first sign of trouble he had abandoned her. He wondered if that meant he wasn’t
capable of loving another, if perhaps the world really would be better off
without him.

When the vine was lowered far enough, the man kissed his wife on the
forehead and wrapped her hands around it tightly. “Don’t you let go Laura.
Promise me you won’t let go no matter what.”

The woman nodded and took hold of the vine. She was light and for
Gabriel towing her to safety was easy, but when she reached the top, he noticed
the palms of her hands were bleeding. Before he could move away, she threw her
arms around his neck and pulled him close. “You saved my life. How can I ever
thank you?”

The smell was sweet and agonising and Gabriel’s head began to swim. “I
need you to stay over there,” he ordered the woman. “As far back as you can get
so I have room to pull up your husband. In fact, see that tree over there? I
need you to go and stand by it and do not come over here again. Not under any
circumstances. Do you understand me?”

Gabriel knew that if the woman stood by the tree-line she would be down
wind and the scent of her blood would be carried away by the storm. When
she moved away, he sighed with relief. Aurora had taught him well.

“Okay it’s your turn,” he shouted down to the man. “I need you to take
hold of the vine and do not let go. That ledge will not bare the weight of your
body falling onto it from a height. Do you understand me?”

The man nodded as Gabriel passed the vine down to him. When he felt his
weight on the end, Gabriel began to pull. He was a lot heavier than his wife
but within minutes Gabriel managed to lever him up and over the edge. When it
was safe to let go the man immediately ran into the arms of his waiting wife.

“Gabriel you saved their lives,” Aurora breathed. “You see. We’re a good
team.”

He nodded and let go of the vine. “Aurora, this doesn’t change anything.
I don’t want you in my life. Nothing is going to change that.”

Rain was running down her face and yet he could still tell which of the
drops were tears.

“Gabriel, I didn’t know. I swear I had no idea.”

“Don’t you get it Aurora?” He shouted. “It doesn’t matter if you knew. I
was changed because of your fixation with these Reapers or whatever the hell
they are. I’m not – ”

But before he could finish a finger of lightening lit up the sky and
struck a tree just metres away.

“We have to get out of here,” the couple shouted over the wind. “We’re
going to try and find higher ground. Come with us, please.”

“They’re right,” Aurora told him. “We can’t stay here.”

He had been about to reluctantly agree, when a second lightning strike
cut through the dark. It struck the earth between their feet sending sparks
flying high enough to sting their legs. Before they had time to react, the
ground moaned like a waking giant.

“Gabriel you have to move! Hurry!”

As Aurora said the words, the ground cracked open and Gabriel’s feet
slipped in the loose rubble.

“You have to jump away from the cliff face,” she screamed. “Gabriel leap
toward me, you can still make it!”

He crouched and sprang up, leaping as far as he could toward the other
side. He made it across the growing divide but landed hard, his fingers clawing
in the loose rock on the other side. His eyes met Aurora’s and for a moment
they simply stared at each other. Her lips whispered his name and then he fell.

Gabriel’s body bashed against the side of the cliff, over and over until
he landed with a heavy thud on the rock ledge below. Unable to take the weight
of his fall, it quickly gave way and he fell further and further until the
sound of Aurora’s screams were swallowed up by the wind. His body smashed
against rock and earth. Protruding branches cut his face and then his body hit
the ground and everything went black.

Up on the cliff Aurora screamed. Behind her the couple shouted out, but
their words were muffled by the storm. She stared down into the darkness
calling Gabriel’s name over and over until eventually the man edged closer and
took her arm.

“You need to come away from the edge sweetheart. You don’t want to look
down there. The fall was too great.”

But Aurora was not ready to give up. “No, he’s strong. He’ll be okay.”

“This storm is too dangerous. You can’t get to him. You’ll be killed
trying.”

But she spun around and stared wildly into the man’s eyes. “You don’t
understand. We have to try.”

“I’ll go for help,” he shrugged. “That’s all I can do.”

Aurora glared at him, her hair blowing out around her face. “He just
saved your life. Are you really going to turn your back on him?”

“No, I’m going to make the most of what he gave me. A long life spent
with the woman I love. He’s gone. Now please, come with us.”

Aurora stared into the darkness. Gabriel was down there, and he was
hurt. “I can’t. He needs me.”

“Well good luck then, I hope you make it out. My wife and I will go for
help.” The man turned and ran up the hill to where his wife was waiting. “We’ll
send help,” he shouted back. “You have my word.”

Left alone in the raging storm, Aurora fell to her knees and shouted up
at the sky. “Gabriel will fulfil his legacy. He will sacrifice himself to give
the people a second chance. It has already begun.”

About the Author:

Nikki Lee Taylor is the author of The Descendants, a five-book paranormal romance series. She wrote her first book in crayon at the age of four and later became a news journalist. Rise of the Reaper Army is her debut novel.

She lives in NSW, Australia and you can visit her online at

Website: https://www.nikkileetaylor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDescendantsBooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NThedescendants

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/live_like_a_descendant

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18751186.Nikki_Lee_Taylor