Friday, April 03, 2015

Guest blog and Giveaway - Bite Me by Robyn Bachar



Character Interview: Bite Me’s Lizzy Addams

Lizzy: Oh, is it interview with the vampire time? Goody.

Me: Yes, it is. The nice people want to hear your story. Please.

Lizzy: “Nice” humans? That’s a contradiction in terms. All right, since you asked so politely. My name is Lizzy Addams, though my inner demon goes by Elizabeth. Mistress Elizabeth if you’ve been naughty…

Me: Keep it PG.

Lizzy: Whatever. Like I was going to link them to her smutty website. Anyway, yes, I am a vampire. But I’m not a “rawr, kill all the mortals” kind of vampire—those don’t last very long before someone goes Buffy on them. I believe in peaceful coexistence, which is why I decided to save people when the world ended.

Me: Well, technically the world didn’t “end”, it was overrun by zombies. The world is still there.

Lizzy: Details. Stop interrupting. Okay, so the zombie apocalypse happened. Shambling corpses all over the place, and that’s bad for vampire business. I can’t feed from zombies, and my personal blood bank was running dangerously low. I needed humans, and the humans needed shelter. You’d think this was obviously a win-win situation, but no. Apparently the world ending made the survivors cranky, and now I have to deal with unruly living tenants in addition to the zombie horde, cranky werewolf neighbors, and my evil vampire brother. It’s very stressful. I blame you.

Me: Yeah, well, torturing your characters is one of the perks of being an author. Anything else you’d like to say to the nice people?


Lizzy: Yes. It sucks to be a vampire at the end of the world. I hope you’re all entertained by my drama.
Bite Me
Robyn Bachar

Genre: Erotic paranormal romance

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Date of Publication: March 17, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-61922-457-5
ASIN:

Number of pages: 211
Word Count: 80k

Cover Artist: Kanaxa

Book Description:

Consumed by the need to feed…

After an out-of-control spell triggers the zombie apocalypse, Lizzy Addams is left in the ruins of Chicago with only the slightly unhinged commentary—and endless erotic appetites—of her inner demon for company. Her blood supply dwindling, she is forced to find survivors to feed from, or die trying.

Officer Angela Kinney was on duty when hungry corpses overwhelmed the city. The survivors look to her for leadership, but nothing prepared her for a beautiful monster who offers safety in exchange for blood.

Sean MacMillan never expected to see Lizzy again after she rejected his attempts to lure her back to the vampire fold. But with his flock threatened by the horde and his murderous vampire brother, Lizzy is the only one he can trust to keep them safe.

The veil of secrecy shrouding the supernatural world torn apart, humanity’s only hope is to forge an alliance with vampires, werewolves, and things that go bump in the night. Though accepting their aid could be a devil’s bargain that puts humans at the bottom of the food chain.

Warning: Contains vampire orgies, angsty demon sex, a frisky lesbian werewolf, light kink, and enough sex toys to start a store.


Available at Amazon   BN   iTunes  Kobo  Samhain Publishing

Excerpt:

We emerged from the coffin to find a note taped to the inside of my closet door, with the instructions, “Sean, read this first.”

No good would come of that. Irritated, I handed him the note and opened the door. I emerged into an empty, silent bedroom. Blinking in confusion, I paused after a few steps. No flock, no werewolves and no one seated at my computer. The door was shut and locked, and my stomach dropped as I was blasted by an icy wave of fear.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, whirling on Sean.

He stood in the doorway to the closet, lean and so tall he nearly scraped the doorframe. Sean studied me silently, his face a placid mask, and then he slowly unbuttoned the jacket he’d just donned and set it aside.

“Sean…” My voice dropped in warning as he began unbuttoning his shirt. I growled for added effect, but he continued, stripping the shirt and then the undershirt beneath until he was bare-chested. He didn’t seem interested or aroused—Sean looked like a man being led to the gallows. I growled again, but instead of a threat it was a sound of interest voice by my stirring demon. She was captivated by the landscape of pale skin across his toned abs, wondering what his skin would feel like beneath our fingertips.

Lean and strong, like our Athena. Wouldn’t they make a striking pair in our bed?

“Elizabeth, come here,” Sean ordered.

I was halfway to him before I realized what had happened—anger at falling so easily into the reflex warred with my demon’s desire to obey. With a snarl I froze, planting my feet in a fighting stance just out of arm’s reach.


“What the fuck is going on?” I snapped.

About the Author:

Robyn Bachar enjoys writing stories with soul mates, swords, spaceships, vampires, and gratuitous violence against the kitchen sink. Her paranormal romance Bad Witch series, historical paranormal romance series Bad Witch: The Emily Chronicles, and spicy space opera romance trilogy Cy’ren Rising are available from Samhain Publishing.

Her books have finaled in PRISM Contest for Published Authors, the Passionate Plume Contest, and twice in the EPIC eBook Awards.

As a gamer, Robyn has spent many hours rolling dice, playing rock-paper-scissors, and slaying creatures in mmorpgs.

Website    Newsletter    Twitter     Blog

Facebook    Google+    Goodreads    LibraryThing


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Thursday, April 02, 2015

Kindle Freebie March 30- April 3 Bewitching Brews and Devilish Desserts




Bewitching Brews and Devilish Desserts 
A Collection of Cocktail and Dessert Recipes
Edited by Roxanne Rhoads

Paperback: 50 pages

Publisher: Bewitching Books

ISBN-10: 1502947013

ISBN-13: 978-1502947017
ASIN: B00PE0BNES

Book Description:

Stir up a little magic from our cauldron full of cocktails and desserts. 

The authors of Bewitching Book Tours conjured a collection of delicious potions inspired by their books and characters. 

Grab your wand (or spoon) and cast one of these spellbinding recipes today.

Available at Amazon

Interview and Giveaway with Dianne Lynn Gardner




What inspired you to become an author?

I would word that question differently simply because to me I didn’t really aspire to become an author, I aspired to write. I love to express what’s in my heart and for many years I did so painting. I still paint. But I have found that writing is much more communicable than visual arts as more people understand the written word than they do art.

I love speaking my heart through stories, just as I love reading stories that have an underlying theme, a voice, a word to say about life. I guess in that sense I will never stop ‘talking.’

Do you have a specific writing style?

That’s an interesting question. In art, ‘style’ develops as you hone your skill. It’s what comes out of you naturally. A painter can’t help but paint in their style. It’s the way they see, the way they hold their brush, the way they apply paint. It’s like walking. We all have our own gaits. So I suppose a ‘writing style’ just happens and is perfected the more I write.

That being said, there are different voices that I use which could be termed ‘style’. The voice is determined by my main character in each of my stories.

Do you write in different genres?

I write YA fantasy and different sub genres. For instance my first series is a YA adventure fantasy, I’ve written a novel a YA dystopia, and now Pouraka YA fantasy paranormal romance.

The book I’m working on now is a YA comical horror story.

If yes which is your favorite genre to write?

I’m loving them all.


How did you come up with the title for your latest book?

I wanted to use a Maori word for the sea cavern where the northern mers live, so I looked up the word for ‘cradle’ in Maori, which in a sense is what Pouraka (pour-ah-kah) is to the mer people. Their cradle, a place of nourishment and protection. The word had such a nice ring to it, and I liked the idea of titling the book after the sea cavern that I used it.

Do you title the book first or wait until after it’s complete?

Oh it differs. Sometimes it takes forever to decide on a title, and sometimes it just is born while writing the book. In Pouraka’s case, I found the title before the book was finished.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

In a sense, yes. I care deeply for sea life, especially dolphins and orcas (I live in the Pacific Northwest, so we see Orcas a lot). The dolphin runs have been in the news so much, and they distress so many people that I felt a need to say something. But posting sad images and holding picket signs isn’t my thing. Instead, I thought if I could put myself in their place, and what better way than to take on the persona of a sea creature with human thoughts and a human voice (i.e. a mermaid), and then dive into the sea and live with those caring loving creatures and give them names and personalities and a purpose that I can understand, then perhaps my readers will understand too. Pouraka is a love story between two merpeople, but it’s also a story about a love for all of life’s creatures, especially those that live in the ocean.

Is the book, characters, or any scenes based on a true life experience, someone you know, or events in your own life?

Not exactly, and yet in a way. When I was young I lived along the coast of California. I loved the beach so much. So the descriptions of the sea are very real.

The dolphin run is real. I tried to describe it from the mermaid’s point of view because you can see what is happening in the water.

The characters are fictitious.

What books/authors have influenced your life?

C.S. Lewis, C.S. Forester, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, Shakespeare.


What book are you reading now?

Gnosis by Tom Wallace

What books are in your to read pile?

A thousand? I have Game of Thrones in my TBR. I have many Indie authors’ books in my TBR, I have some classics that I never read but I should have in there too.

What is your current “work in progress” or upcoming projects?

I’m editing a manuscript titled The Unconventional Mr. Peadlebody. It’s a tongue in cheek comedy set in the 1950s about a dysfunctional vampire family.


Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Battles. Battles are always tough for me. I have to edit them over and over again.


Do you have to travel much to do research for your books?

I should travel more. I do what I can.

Who designed the cover of your latest book?

I did. I’m an oil painter and Pouraka’s cover is from an original oil painting.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Study. Go to workshops, read books, study some more. Learn what it takes to make a story appealing and meaningful.

Do you have a song or playlist (book soundtrack) that you think represents this book?

Ah! I’m so glad you asked. This book is inspired by Il Divo’s “Memory.”


Pouraka
Book One
Dianne Lynn Gardner

Genre: Fantasy romance

Publisher: Dianne Lynn Gardner

ASIN: B00T0PED40

Number of pages: 242
Word Count: 75369

Cover Artist: Dianne Lynn Gardner

Book Description:

Pouraka is a magical sea cavern tucked under the rocky cliffs near Barnacle Bay. Cora, a Pouraka mer, is torn between her friends in the seaside town, and her true love Tas, a foreign mer whose people fled when men invaded their waters.

Life becomes difficult for all mers when an arrogant oil rigger's son, Tom, finds the bay and the rich aquatic life it harbors. When Tas attempts to rescue a pod of dolphins from Tom's gill net, he is captured and taken away as a prize to be sold to a theme park. When Cora hears of his capture she changes into human form and travels south to find him, risking her life to free him.

Time away from Pouraka leaves the cavern vulnerable, and a new threat arises when tourists discover its magic.



Available at Amazon


Excerpt:

Leni brushed his hair back with his hands and focused on the ocean again. Cora followed his eye. Stars cast dancing beams that rippled in the dark. Tiny lights flickered in the distance and the lights of a boat on the horizon spread a beam of color on the quiet waters. Leni rubbed his chin awhile. “I take it he’s in merman form?” 

The look on Leni’s face when she nodded, and the way he shook his head made Cora’s stomach churn. “You have to help us, Leni. There’s no one else.”

“Cora.” Leni bowed his head. Cora waited for him to think, to come up with a plan but all he did was shake his head over and over again.

“Leni!” she pleaded.

“I’m not sure what all I can do. If they caught themselves a merman, they aren’t going to give him up just because an old fisherman asks them to. If it’s that oil rigger’s son, he’ll laugh and who knows what he’d do to Tas. They don’t have any respect for me you know. They don’t have much respect for life at all.”

“What are you saying?” She couldn’t believe his response. Leni had always been so understanding, so available when the merpeople needed him. “Are you saying you won’t do anything?”

“I’m saying I can’t just race out there and ask them to release Tas. If he’s held captive, he’s going to be under tight security. Heck, he might not even be on that boat. He might be halfway to Ocean Bend by now.”

“Leni!”

“Cora, this is bigger than you can imagine. Men have been trying to catch merfolk for thousands of years! They’ll take him to the nearest lab or university and do tests on him. The newspapers will be all over it. The government might even claim him.” He shook his head again and met Cora’s eyes. A sympathetic pout turned down the corners of his lips. “I’m afraid Tas’ fate is out of our hands, Cora. You’d better warn your friends because those people will be coming back for more. Believe me.”

About the Author:

Dianne is an author and illustrator of YA adventure fantasy with a dab of historical content thrown in. Building worlds that might resemble the forests of her home in the Pacific Northwest, or the shimmering deserts of Arizona, add to that a pinch of magic dust and a few million stars and you just might find the portal to another Realm.

Happily married to a man that puts up with her celestial wanderings and wonderings, she is the mother of seven lovely adult children and grandmother to sixteen gorgeous boys and girls.

Dianne loves writing, painting in oils and living in other dimensions. She finds life much more colorful that way! Her books are middle grade to young adult adventure fantasies with dragons and wizards and sorcery and battles on the high seas. Her grandchildren are a big inspiration for her stories. There’s a shared camaraderie, something akin to what C.S. Lewis said about someday being old enough to enjoy fairy tales again.

Dianne’s newest series Pouraka dives into the depths to explore life as a mer. She also has a series that is being re released by PDMI publishing called the Ian’s Realm Saga.

Stretching her tent stakes, she is working on an Indie Film production of her V book Cassandra’s Castle.



Twitter @DianneGardner





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Interview: Desert Blood by Anna Lowe


How did you come up with the title for your latest book?

Desert Blood comes from a couple of influences. The Twin Moon Ranch series is set on an Arizona ranch, so all the titles start with Desert (Book 1 is Desert Moon, Book 3 Desert Fate, and so on). I also like using a double O in the title if I can because that echoes the symbol of ranch, which is two circles overlapping by a third, like a Venn diagram. That reflects the dual nature of the shifters living on the ranch and the call of a full moon on the wolf side of their personalities. Finally, the villain in this story is a vampire, so the “Blood” part of the title does double duty – implying the vampire threat as well as incorporating the Twin Moon symbol.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

If anything, the message would be to let your true self out from behind the layers we tend to pile on like so many coats. Heather in the book is struggling to overcome a terrifying experience and rediscover the capable, unafraid woman she used to be. Cody struggles to free himself of the yoke of family expectations – or lack thereof, since he's the overlooked second son of a powerful alpha. In the end, you can only be truly happy if you remain true to yourself, even if it can take a lot of courage to get to that point.

Is the book, characters, or any scenes based on a true life experience, someone you know, or events in your own life?

The Twin Moon Ranch of this series is based in a real ranch I worked on for a full year and several seasons. That's where many of the Twin Moon Ranch features come from: the dining hall, the council house, the gateway hung with the ranch brand, and the overall layout of the ranch. Of course, the real ranch didn't have werewolves or as many hunks, so Twin Moon is much better! The experience of working on that ranch also gave me my fascination with the desert in all its moods and seasons.

Heather, the heroine of this story, is a teacher like me, and just about all the classroom banter and personalities you read about in Desert Blood are snippets of reality cut and pasted together in new combinations. There's no single person in the story based on a real life person, just types: like Cody, the man who's grown so used to playing a role, he doesn't know how to break free. Heather closing the door to give him a second chance is a trick I've used, as well!

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Ellis Leigh has been incredibly helpful, both as a critique partner and in sharing her publishing advice. Overall, I find the romance writing community to be incredibly open and generous in sharing the wealth of their collective knowledge. I'm already involved in a number of boxed sets and cross-promotional efforts with New York Times bestselling authors. It's really remarkable.

What books are in your to read pile?

As soon as it releases, I will devour Ainsley Booth's Hate F*@k Part 3, and I can't wait to get to the Jo Nesby mysteries my husband keeps raving to me about.

What is your current “work in progress” or upcoming projects?

I'm currently in final edits of Desert Fate, Book 3 of this series. It features Kyle, the quiet cop-shifter who Cody works with to track down the vampires of Book 2. Kyle Williams is just a lone wolf trying to settle in to a new skin. But when the brown-eyed girl from his past turns up, bloodied by a rival male, the instinct to protect overrides everything else—including duty to his pack.

Stefanie Alt is a woman on the run, and fate is hot on her heels. The only one who can help her is the neighborhood bad boy she once knew. But even after one hot night under the desert moon, Stefanie isn’t sure she can trust him—or herself.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Cody and Heather both feel an instant pull toward each other, but it takes a while for them to grow close. Heather has no idea that the ranch folk are all shifters, and Cody knows all too well she's a human and forbidden to him. He tries to deny the attraction at first. But destiny is at work, and destiny won't be denied. Here he's walking away from their first real interaction together...
She was like no schoolteacher he’d ever met. Her legs belonged on a fashion runway—no, he decided, sportier than that. More like on a volleyball court. Her eyes were a green he’d never seen in the desert. And the toned arms stretching out from that sleeveless sundress, well, those belonged around him. He sniffed long and hard, savoring her scent like the last bloom of the century plant. Except this one came with a hint of strawberry. He did it again now: sniffed.
Mine! his wolf growled.
That’s what scared him. His wolf had never claimed a woman before. Usually, the beast sampled anything on offer and quickly moved on, favoring quantity over quality when it came to the opposite sex. Over the last two weeks, though, his wolf had suddenly developed an opinion, and it was all about Heather.
Only her.
All the time.
Mine!
But what the hell did a wolf know?
Cody wasn’t meant to settle down. Cody wasn’t the one called by destiny. And he certainly didn’t deserve a woman like her. She was so spirited. So together. So…fresh. But just because he got a rush around Heather, just because he spent day and night wondering about her, didn’t mean he was in love. No, sir.

Do you have to travel much to do research for your books?

It's actually the other way around: I love to travel, and a story hits me every time – so much that I have a huge backlog waiting to be written down! I love to write what I see and experience into my stories, then add in what I wished I'd seen or experienced! That comes through in both my Twin Moon series and in the Adventure and Travel romance series I am working on now which will release in the summer (Uncharted Waters and Uncharted Territory).


Who designed the cover of your latest book?

Fiona Jayde of Fiona Jayde media, and she's done a fantastic job. It was a lot of fun to work with her on the feel and layout of this series, and she's been great about steering me with her expertise while listening to my suggestions. She took my vague idea about having a red rock landscape element in the cover and made it into a striking element that unites the series and sets a certain mood. At the same time, she works hard to make every cover individual by combining new elements in the upper part. My favorite part is “researching” for a suitable model!

Desert Blood
The Wolves of Twin Moon Ranch
Book 2
Anna Lowe

Genre: PNR

Publisher: Twin Moon Press
Date of Publication: April 2, 2015

ASIN: B00TIUEVL2

Number of pages: 117
Word Count: approx 31,000

Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde

Book Description:

Heather Luth knows nothing about the paranormal world until one awful night changes everything. Now she’s on the run―straight into the arms of forbidden love. Her mind knows better than to fall for Cody Hawthorne’s sunny smile and mesmerizing voice, but her heart―and destiny―have other ideas.

On the surface, Cody is warm, witty, and fun, but beneath his carefree facade, Heather sees a real man struggling to break free. Day by day, Heather and Cody grow closer and closer, unable to resist their simmering passion―while day by day, a serial murderer closes in on his prey. Duty fights desire; fear wrestles trust as the human world clashes with the paranormal in a tale of forbidden love.

There’s more than meets the eye on Twin Moon Ranch, home to a pack of shapeshifting wolves willing to battle for life and love.


Available at Amazon


Excerpt:

A knock on the door on a Sunday night should have set off every alarm in Heather’s body. It should have had her cowering, hoping that whoever it was, they’d please, please give up and go away.
Part of her did cower. But the other part was drawn forward—bold and unafraid. Reckless, even. As if her dog Buddy were there, one step ahead, tail wagging in eager anticipation of a trusted friend. That’s what the night air was signaling now: friend, not foe.
Slowly, carefully, she turned the lock and cracked the door open, bracing to bash it closed, just in case.
It was him. Cody. More than a friend; her heart knew that already. Each time he walked her to her car, another section of her heart caved in. And two nights ago, his kiss had sent the rest crumbling. She could still taste him on her lips, still feel his hand on her hip. She’d been bumping into her own furniture, pouring tea into her cereal, watching the clock for some unknown appointment.
Now, standing before her, Cody’s eyes sparkled gold behind the brown, like coins in an ancient well. In faded denim and a beige shirt, the man was all dry tones, but his hands cupped something succulent and red. Behind him, the desert was hushed, leaning in to eavesdrop. They stood staring at each other for a minute, or maybe ten, bathed in silence except for the hum. It was very faint, like a power station radiating electricity, but it came from between them, out of thin air. Or maybe it was from the thirsty earth below, thrumming with the beat of a primal drum.
The lazy, lusty heat of it wrapped around Heather’s legs and clambered up her frame. Soon she’d be engulfed with that thumping need. Did he feel it, too? She stood silent, wondering what it was that tore at her gut with a curt, urgent message: Cody! Cody! It might have been the call a hibernating bear gets to wake up or a flower to bloom. Every scrap of her was being pulled in his direction.
“Hi,” he breathed. His voice, normally so smooth, had a bit of sandpaper in it tonight.
“Hi,” she said, or at least mouthed it while her pulse hammered in her ears.
Warning bells sounded in her mind. Don’t trust him! Don’t trust anyone!
His lips parted as if to speak then closed again. She could taste the kiss forming on them as he took her in. Not the way some men did, appraising and crude. No, his gaze was gentle, sincere. Hopeful, too. But he was holding back, giving her the power to choreograph what happened next.
Danger! Danger! You don’t know what he will do!
Heather shoved the spinster aside and swung the door wide. “Would you like to come in?”
Grinning like a boy offered a cookie jar and trying to remember his manners, Cody stepped over the threshold. “Tina asked me to give you this.” He handed her a limp sheaf of papers. Meanwhile, all his focus—his hopes—were pinned to his other hand. The one that held out strawberries. Juicy. Sweet. Begging to be devoured.
Temptation, there for her to take or reject.
She was shaking inside, her mouth dry, her pulse racing. To take meant risk—risking her heart, maybe even her life. To reject meant locking herself away from a life worth living.
She took, unable to deny herself. It was sheer instinct; the inner voice had no time to intervene. Only to react once it was too late. I hope you know what you’re doing.
But she had no idea what she was doing, just this crazy instinct to trust him. She rinsed the berries and covertly watched Cody make a loop through her living room. He was taking it all in, from the second-hand couch to the desert scenes she’d cut out of an old wall calendar to decorate the walls. Everything was improvised, like the scrap of cardboard evening out the legs of the rickety table. God, what would he think?
He leaned over a framed photo. “Nice dog.”
A trick! A trick! Be careful!
“Buddy,” she said, smiling automatically.
“Buddy?” he laughed.
“Hey, I was nine when I named him!” Her hands went to her hips, prompting Cody to throw his palms up in surrender. “He was the best.”
He studied the picture more closely then shot her a skeptical look. “Him?”
That dog had been closer to her than most of her family members. A shoulder for her to cry on through her parents’ divorce and subsequent remarriages to partners who gradually pushed Heather away. From her ninth birthday until that awful day a decade later when Buddy died, he’d always been there for her. “The absolute best.”
Cody’s eyes danced. “Better than Lassie?”
She laughed. He’d chosen the right moment to lighten things up. She was much too tense. “Way better.”
“Better than Rin-Tin-Tin?”
“A totally different class.”
He raised his eyebrows. “What about Benji? Benji could solve crimes, you know.” His eyes sparkled at some inside joke.
She shook her head, unimpressed. “Buddy didn’t need to solve crimes; he was so good at keeping trouble away.”
“Big dog.” Cody shook his head skeptically.
“I like big dogs.”
His head tilted to one side. “How big?”
“Big.” What was this, some kind of Freudian analysis? She moved from the kitchenette, holding out the bowl of strawberries, willing her hand not to shake. “Dessert?”
Cody grinned, and she immediately felt her face heat in a flush.
Never trust any man! the fearful voice cried. But this time, the voice came from a distance, as if it had been grabbed by the scruff of its neck and was being escorted out the back door, fading away into the night. Don’t trust anyone…


About the Author:

Anna Lowe loves putting the "hero" back into heroine and letting location ignite a passionate romance. She likes a heroine who is independent, intelligent, and imperfect — a woman who's doing just fine on her own. But give the heroine a good man (not to mention a chance to overcome her own inhibitions) and she'll never turn down the chance for adventure, nor shy away from danger.

Anna is a middle school teacher who divides her time between coastal Maine and a village in view of the Austrian Alps. She loves dogs, sports, and travel — and letting those inspire her fiction.

Once upon a time, she was a long-distance triathlete and soccer player. Nowadays, she finds her balance with yoga, writing, and family time with her husband and young children. On any given weekend, you might find her hiking in the mountains or hunched over her laptop, working on her latest story. Either way, the day will end with a chunk of dark chocolate and a good read.



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Interview and Giveaway Missy the Werecat by P. G. Allison






What inspired you to become an author?

I've read LOTS of fantasy books about vampires, witches and werewolves and I really enjoy the genre but it always seems the focus is all about the supernaturals, with their interactions with humans almost nonexistent; humans are merely "prey or food" for vampires or else people to hide from and avoid for werewolves.  Also, the werewolf books are all about the packs and the alphas.

What I wanted to write was a book where: "There is no pack, no pride of other werecats and no alpha".  Missy has enhanced senses, abilities and powers (which increase in later books) but she's interacting with normal humans.  I also liked starting her off completely alone, making her have to cope for two years after suddenly being forced to become a wild predator while retaining her human intellect.  What would living like that do to a person?  Then, when she finally learns to be human again, what would she be like?  Returning to "normal" life yet still having all her enhanced senses and predatory nature?  She retains all the instincts and reactions of a mountain lion but these are now carried over to her human life and must be controlled.  (Hence all the extreme training and exercise she seeks).  I thought trying to write such a fantasy might be fun ... and, it was!  I'm enjoying what I've created and it seems most of my readers seem to "get" what I'm doing and enjoy Missy as well.

Completely unrealistic for a young girl to behave the way she does?  Yep!  Of course!  It's a FANTASY !!!  Is she arrogant?  Well, if you had all those enhanced abilities and powers, which you worked hard to keep hidden ... would YOU be arrogant?  Hard to be humble when you know you can easily overpower everyone around you.  At the same time, I've tried to have Missy be willing to protect her friends and loved ones, stand up to any bully and bravely risk herself in doing so.  Does she make mistakes?  Yes.  Is she perfect?  No.  It's been fun and I do hope readers can continue to enjoy her story.  I've now published Book IV, Missy's Misadventure, and am writing Book V.

Do you write in different genres. If yes which is your favorite genre to write?

New Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy.

How did you come up with the title for your latest book?

Each title in this series just seemed logical.

Do you title the book first or wait until after it’s complete?

I started writing Missy the Werecat to see if indeed I could actually write; once I started writing her story, ideas kept coming and I kept writing.  The story evolved and after I’d written a hundred thousand words, I knew I had a novel.  I edited the story several times and then sent out a number of query letters to see if any agents were interested.  None were, so I decided to self-publish on Amazon.

I began writing the middle of 2013 and published Dec 6, 2013.  I then published three more books about Missy by Dec 2014.

What books/authors have influenced your life?

I enjoy all of the following authors, who write the kinds of stories I enjoy and I read everything they write:  Kelley Armstrong, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Patricia Briggs, Rachel Caine, Sierra Dean, Jennifer Estep, Diana Gabaldon, Kim Harrison, Faith Hunter, Chloe Neill, Nalini Singh, Carrie Vaughn, Rachel Vincent and Eileen Wilks.

What book are you reading now?

Bite Me by Rachel Caine.

What books are in your to read pile?

There are over a hundred!

What is your current “work in progress” or upcoming projects?

I’ve only written about a third of Book V and haven’t got a title for it yet.  Missy develops more powers and then, of course, uses them to help others.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

My favorite thing about writing is not knowing, when I start writing things, just where the story will end up going.  As I try to work through each situation which my characters find themselves getting into, possible scenarios and dialog will evolve and the result will often go places I’d never dreamed of.  Then, of course, I go back and re-write and edit and re-write some more, but the storyline has emerged and it’s fun to see just what has happened.

Do you have any advice for other writers?


Just write.  I write things down and just see where those things will take me.  If I’m stuck trying to work out some elaborate plot?  I just write some things for each of my characters and see what they come up with, what direction they will take me.  Often, an exciting plot will emerge or new characters will show up.  So, I don’t just sit there … I write!  I always write the stuff that I want to read about and I don’t worry about my readers.  If I end up liking what I’ve written, chances are that others will like my stuff as well.


Missy the Werecat
Book One
P. G. Allison

Genre:  New Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Date of Publication: Dec 6, 2013

ISBN-13: 978-1494334260
ASIN: B00H2WPGDA

Number of pages:  400
Word Count: 105,000

Book Description:

When puberty brings on her first Shift, Missy goes into the mountains for two years until finally learning to Change back.  She can Change from fully human in one instant to a mountain lion in the next. 

Everyone assumes her two year disappearance was because she’d been kidnapped by a sexual predator that she managed to kill.  She keeps her werecat nature a secret. There is no pack, no pride of other werecats and no alpha.  She’s a girl with fantastic abilities growing up and learning to do great things in today’s world, amongst humans.  She only has her instincts to guide her and those drive her to train herself to extremes.  She must control those instincts; dampening the wild predator is often necessary. 

Her raging hormones and enhanced senses require very strong controls; she explores what happens when those controls are relaxed.

Available at Amazon
Excerpt:

Prologue

Imagine a world where werecats at one time did indeed exist, but became extinct eons ago.  Then, because their recessive genes managed to survive and get passed on -- thanks to some rare unions with humans -- DNA with these special werecat genes continued down through the ages, further evolving and being inherited by a very small number of descendants.  And finally, imagine that two of these very unique individuals -- each one in a billion -- would meet, fall in love and become parents.  While three of their four children would be normal humans, one -- their daughter Missy -- would be very special.  She would be a werecat.
And thus, Missy the werecat was born in today’s era.  She’s not exactly the same as those ancestor werecats, but she does have many special abilities -- not the least of which is being able to transform, with a great shimmer of light and burst of energy, into another form.  She can Change from being fully human in one instant to being a cat animal in the next.  In her cat form, she has the same body mass as in her human form and fully retains her human intellect and memory.  And, in either form, she has all the instincts and abilities of a wild, predatory mountain lion.
Eventually, she will learn how to Change forms back and forth, and how to manage and control her special abilities.  Her genetic anomaly, combined with some evolution along the way, brings her cat endowments into her human form:  speed, strength, agility, and enhanced senses of smell, hearing, taste and sight.  She is also gifted with rapid healing and is immune to disease.  As Missy will gradually learn about herself, she will go from being a girl with great skills to a grown woman with truly fantastic powers.

Chapter One
Jul 2013

In the middle of her last night at soccer camp, Missy awakened with a strong desire to get up and go outside.  She just knew this was something she had to do, and right away.  So, slipping out of bed and quietly making her way down from her dormitory room, she did go out.  Although there was a full moon, it was cloudy and very dark outside, with no streetlights or anything else to illuminate the landscape.  However, the darkness did not bother her at all.  She could feel something pulling at her, drawing her away from the dorm.  And, she also noticed her ability to see in the dark was somehow much greater than ever before.
She had always been able to see, hear and smell things to an extent far greater than those around her, but tonight it was even more so.  She knew she had other special abilities as well.  She had gradually come to realize that others were not able to do all the things which she could do.  She had accepted that she was just different.  She had shown an athletic ability which was quite advanced, excelling in little league and youth soccer programs, as well as at karate practice and during any gymnastic events.  She easily had won all the competitive races at school and in her local community.  All of that had lead to her attending soccer camp every summer.
Soccer camp was in Keene, NH and near Monadnock Mountain.  It was now late July, a month after her 13th birthday, and Missy had really been enjoying her time back at this wonderful camp once again.  It was so beautiful there!  A whole week away from home, where she was getting some elite training in a sport where, as a junior high school player, she had already been noted as being really special.  Her Mom was keeping all the news articles written about her in a special scrapbook along with several photos.
As this week at camp had been coming to a close, she’d been getting more and more excited about the fall season coming up.  This would be her last year in junior high and she just knew her soccer team would go on to win the state championship this year and get to compete in the nationals.  Then, the following year, she would finally be competing at the high school level.  Her older brother and sister had both been telling her all about the fun activities they were experiencing in high school, and she could hardly wait to get there.
At night, she typically found herself anticipating and dreaming vividly about many of these things and had no trouble sleeping soundly all night long.  That’s why waking up with this sudden need to go outside in the middle of the night came as such a complete surprise.  What made her wake up and why did she feel this compulsion so strongly?  She could not understand what was happening.  Her entire body was experiencing something new and strange, something she had never felt before.  Her heart was pounding and her blood was racing!   And, just why was she having all these tingly feelings?
Once outside, she was drawn towards the nearby trees which marked the edge of the deeper forest and she quickly walked over to them, crossing the courtyard and the small parking lot.  The full moon suddenly came out from behind the clouds, shining down brightly.  She glanced backwards just once, looking back the way she had come at the dormitory building she was leaving behind.  She was thinking, “What am I doing?  Why am I out here?”  But, then she turned and walked deeper into the woods.  She just knew this was something urgent and absolutely necessary.
Further and further she went, all the while continuing to experience all kinds of new feelings, with her senses hyper alert and more aware of sights and sounds and smells than ever before.  Since she still had not had her first period, she began to wonder if that might be what this was all about.  Puberty!  Yes, she had been anxiously waiting for this as most of her girlfriends had already had their first period and had started growing hair on their legs, under their arms, etc.  Shaving had been a big topic amongst the girls!  And, boobs!  And boys!
Missy was somewhat of a late bloomer and had not yet really developed.  She’d not had her first period yet, in spite of various signs that things would be happening for her very soon.  She had experienced some swelling of her breasts and tenderness of her nipples but was concerned she still looked very flat compared to most of the other girls.  Although she now did have some hair growing in new places, she had not yet shaved under her arms … when would she finally be getting her period anyway!?!
But all the talks she’d had with her mother and her sister about this important subject had not really suggested anything like what she was feeling right now.  Not only was she physically reacting to something, she was also getting so many thoughts and emotional signals.  Whatever was happening was compelling her to be out here … something irresistible was forcing her.  Nothing had prepared her for this.  And yet, remarkably, she was not at all afraid.  Somehow, she just knew …
And then … it happened!  Her body just collapsed and her mind was overwhelmed, going to a quiet place deep within itself.  She didn’t lose consciousness but felt as though she was in a dream state.  She had no control.  She knew there was some sort of Change happening to her and then there was a shimmer of light and a burst of energy.  She could feel this was coming from within, from somewhere deep inside and from something that was a part of her.  There was no pain or discomfort during this Change.  Then, in the next moment, everything was suddenly new and different.  Very different!
She was a cat.  Her form was no longer human but that of a large animal, very much like a mountain lion.  She had no idea of that, at least at first.  She did notice a huge difference in the sounds and smells around her, which now were even more noticeable.  And when she looked out at her surroundings, she could see much more clearly, but without all the color.  Since it was dark, there wasn’t much awareness of that just yet.  Instead, she was noticing more the way things felt to her body.  Her arms and legs were very different and were covered with fur.  So was the rest of her body, even her face.  Her hands and feet were now paws -- paws with claws which could extend and retract.


 About the Author:

P. G. Allison has always loved stories about female characters with special powers (Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Bionic Woman, Batgirl) along with stories about witches and werewolves.  The Missy the Werecat Series has no pack, no pride of other werecats and no alpha; Missy is a girl with fantastic abilities doing great things in today's world, amongst humans.  Future books in this Paranormal, New Adult, Urban Fantasy series are planned where Missy will go on to West Point and eventually serve in the Special Forces.





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